The Hundred has been hit by the withdrawal of a second English star after Jonny Bairstow decided to follow the example of his Test captain, Ben Stokes, in choosing to rest rather than play in the England and Wales Cricket Board’s showpiece tournament.
In a hectic international summer Bairstow has played in all four England Tests as well as nine of their 12 white-ball games, missing only the three Twenty20 matches against India. Having been named in the squad for the first two of three Tests against South Africa, which start at Lord’s on 17 August, he has decided that some time away from the game is required.
“I’m really disappointed I won’t be part of the Hundred this year,” Bairstow said. “I loved it last year but I’ve had a hectic few months with the schedule as it is and I really need to take a breather before the South Africa series.”
Ben Stokes (Durham, capt), Jimmy Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey, wk), Jack Leach (Somerset), Alex Lees (Durham), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire).
Bairstow had been due to captain Welsh Fire, who will instead be led by Josh Cobb when they travel to Southampton for the Hundred’s opening game on Wednesday. Last year, when his involvement was also reduced because of international commitments, he played in only two matches, scoring 128 runs at a strike rate of 170.66. The team said they “understand Jonny’s decision and wish him all the best”.
Bairstow is joined in England’s Test squad by Ollie Robinson, who returns after a wildly injury- and illness‑disrupted period in which he was affected by issues with his shoulder and back, a tooth infection, Covid and food poisoning.
Sussex’s game against Nottinghamshire last week was only his third first-class appearance of the summer and his first for more than two months, but he performed impressively, taking nine wickets. He will play for the Lions next week in a four-day match against South Africa at Canterbury as he continues to hone his fitness.
“I felt a bit rusty as I suppose after a few months it is going to be, but the ball came out OK,” Robinson said last week. “I’ve had a few conversations with the England coaches and said that I wanted to bowl as many overs as were needed by the team, with no restrictions, and they have allowed me to play this game to 100%. I’m hoping that with a couple of good games I can be back in the mix.”
Mo Bobat, England’s men’s performance director, said the squad had been picked “with continuity in mind”. The team’s first summer under the captaincy of Stokes and with Brendon McCullum as coach has already brought four victories in as many games, with the side enthusiastically embracing a more attacking approach.
Robinson replaces Jamie Overton in a squad otherwise unchanged from that originally chosen to face India at Edgbaston last month. Sam Billings, who was called up for that match after Ben Foakes sustained a minor back injury, is omitted with the Surrey wicketkeeper having made a full recovery.
