‘There’s been a lot of talk, some of which I think has been a bit out of order’ – Jonny Bairstow laments over his severe criticism post his stunning knock in fourth Ashes Test

Jonny Bairstow. (Photo Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow said that he had faced “out of order” criticism after a stunning knock against Australia in the fourth Ashes Test, at Old Trafford, in Manchester. Bairstow scored an unbeaten 99 off just 81 balls and helped England to post a mammoth 592 runs in their first innings.

The 33-year-old also held two catches off speedster, Mark Wood, as Australia reached 113/4 in their second innings at stumps on Day 3, trailing by 162 runs.

Bairstow, who suffered an injury following a freak accident on a golf course in August 2022, said that he has not played the game for a long time after his surgery and spent a considerable time in his rehabilitation. He also said that most of the criticisms he has faced have been out of order but he sees them as part of the game.

“You’ve got to have a bit of perspective on it. I’ve not played in months and I’ve not kept properly in three years. There’s obviously been a lot of talk and things like that, some of which I think has been a bit out of order to be honest but that’s part and parcel of people having an opinion,” Bairstow told the BBC.

Everyone thinks I play better when people have a go at me: Bairstow

Furthermore, Jonny Bairstow went on to say that he feels tiresome when everyone thinks he plays better when people have a go at him. He added that he has played a lot of cricket and said he wouldn’t have played 94 Tests if he was rubbish.

“Everyone thinks I play better when people have a go at me. It gets a bit tiresome, to be honest. I’ve played a lot of cricket now. To keep being told you’re rubbish – if I was that rubbish I wouldn’t have played 94 Tests,” he added.

He further admitted that he was not at his best in the second Test at Lord’s. Notably, he failed to perform as he had dropped seven catches and missed a stumping chance during the first three Ashes Tests.

“It wasn’t the way I wanted to be out down at Lord’s. You want to be playing the game and play it how I have always played it, you play it tough, you play it fair,” the keeper-batter concluded.