Key Points

It has been more than a year since Bairstow last donned the England jersey. His previous outing ended on a bitter note, considering he was dismissed for a three-ball duck as England's T20 World Cup 2024 campaign came to a semi-final heartbreak defeat against India.

Last year, the 35-year-old was axed from the Test side as part of a shuffle and revamp of the red-ball squad. England was forced to consider making a couple of changes after being humbled by India in a 4-1 series defeat. After making his 100th Test appearance in Dharamshala, he disappeared from the scene. England overlooked Bairstow and considered alternative wicketkeeping prospects.

Bairstow's situation remains peculiar, considering he is positioned low in the pecking order despite being centrally contracted, a contract that will expire this October. With no signs suggesting Bairstow being a part of head coach Brendon McCullum's plans, the seasoned star remains adamant about his return. With the T20 World Cup 2026 in sight, England's new white-ball captain, Harry Brook, is in the hunt for players who can take on the world's best bowlers, and Bairstow believes he fits the bill.

"I am still contracted. I haven't heard too much from them, if anything, to be honest with you, but that's the part and parcel of it. Brooky (Harry Brook) came out and said that he wanted certain type of players who can take down the best bowlers in the world, and I definitely fit that mould and have done for a long period of time," Bairstow told Sky Sports.

"So, from a fitness point of view, I have not missed a game since coming back from my ankle injury, which could have been a lot more treacherous than it has been. I am really pleased to be spending a lot of time out on the field, even with the County Championship stuff and then going into the Hundred. From a robustness point of view, I am definitely knocking about. The other bits here, the leadership side of it, have thrown at different challenges," he concluded.

In the ongoing Vitality Blast Men 2025, Bairstow has hammered 177 runs in seven appearances for Yorkshire at 25.28 while striking impressively at 165.42. The seasoned star has enjoyed a more prolific run in the County Championship with Yorkshire, garnering 595 runs at 49.58 and hammering nine sixes, the most by a batter in the top 20 run-scorers.

- ANI