Former England player Sir Geoffrey Boycott defended his criticism of Jonny Bairstow after he stepped up in the 4th Ashes Test at Old Trafford. Boycott said that he criticized Bairstow for his cricketing reasons and is surprised by how he is taking the field in the first place, especially after suffering a severe ankle injury as well. However, Bairstow hit a stunning 99* in England’s first innings to help them to a massive total of 592 runs.
In his column for The Telegraph, the veteran wrote: “What often happens with him – and I have known him since he was a kid – is that criticism spurs him on and stirs him up. I didn’t write my column for that reason; I did it for cricketing reasons. I just suggested that England take him out of the cauldron because that foot of his is a problem and he did not look to be moving freely. It is a miracle he is playing. It was a brilliant comeback.”
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The veteran also believes that Mark Wood’s introduction in the series has been a huge factor in England’s resurgence. However, Boycott also added that Nathan Lyon’s absence made Australia’s bowling attack weak.
“The introduction of Mark Wood’s extra pace was a huge factor as he unsettled the opposition, never allowing them to get comfortable and Australia losing Nathan Lyon through injury was a big factor. Lyon was a huge miss because he can tie up an end to give their fast bowlers more rest and also take wickets,” He said.
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“Zak Crawley was outstanding at Old Trafford. On flat pitches when the ball is not moving, he can murder bowlers. If the ball moves around, then his technique will be exposed. The flaws are still there. He does not know what to leave and has a gap between bat and pad. This is why Ben Stokes was right to ask for hard, flat, fast batting pitches. It suits people like Crawley to be positive with their batting,” he concluded.
