by India Today Sports DeskEngland cricketer Jonny Bairstow cannot wait to return to the national team after his long injury layoff. Bairstow has been out of international action since August 2022 after suffering a horrific leg injury. Bairstow suffered a leg fracture in September 2022 while playing golf. He tripped while trying to regain his balance and was overcompensated, resulting in a broken fibula in three places and a dislocated ankle. He underwent surgery a week later and was ruled out for the rest of the year, including England’s T20 World Cup campaign.
Bairstow has since made a full recovery and was named in England’s squad for the one-off Test against Ireland in May 2023.
“I’ve missed it. You just want to play with your mates. Enjoying good times, enjoying good company. During Covid, being away from your family and loved ones was tough. This winter is even tougher in this weather Has been.” In a completely different way,” Bairstow told talkSPORT in an interview ahead of England’s only Test match against Ireland, starting on 1 June.
Bairstow further added, “So, getting back with my teammates and representing my country is something I can’t wait for and I would be extremely proud to do it again.”
Bairstow’s return will be crucial for England who will be hoping to get their batting line-up back to full strength at least before the Ashes series. Before the injury, Bairstow was one of England’s most destructive batsmen alongside Brendon McCullum, scoring multiple hundreds in 2022. Bairstow scored 994 runs in 8 Tests in 2022 and was surely on course for his best season in red-ball cricket. ,
His highest score was 136 against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. He had scored 114 against India at Lord’s and 106 against South Africa at Headingley before the injury.