A “freak” injury while playing golf has ended Jonny Bairstow’s dream of the T20 World Cup 2022, slated for October in Australia.
Hours after being named in England’s squad for the T20 World Cup squad, and being confirmed to open alongside Jos Buttler after Jason Roy’s exclusion, Bairstow announced on his Instagram that he has suffered a leg injury on a golf course and will be needed to undergo an operation which has ruled him out of the upcoming Oval Test against South Africa, the Pakistan T20I series tour and the T20 WC in Australia.
“Unfortunately I am going to be unavailable of [sic] games/tours in the immediate future,” Bairstow wrote in a post on his Instagram story. “The reason being is that I have injured my lower leg in a freak accident and it shall need an operation.
“The injury came when I slipped on the golf course this morning. I am gutted and want to wish everyone for this week at The Oval all the best firstly and the boys that are going to Australia for the T20 World Cup. Absolutely gutted! I will be back.”
Image Source – Sky Sports
Jonny Bairstow is a key member of the England team across formats
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, the 32-year-old Yorkshireman suffered this accident ”when he slipped while walking to a tee box while playing golf at Pannal Golf Club near Harrogate on Friday morning”. This injury is believed to be “serious and could be a fracture, which would also rule Bairstow out of England’s Test tour to Pakistan in December”.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in their released statement revealed: “Bairstow sustained a lower limb injury in a freak accident whilst playing golf on Friday in Leeds. He will see a specialist next week to ascertain the full extent of the injury. “
This is a massive blow for the Three Lions, who are looking to win the T20 World Cup for the first time since 2010. They were knocked out in the semi-finals last year in the UAE and came within touching distance in the 2016 T20 World Cup final in Kolkata but were blown away in the end by Carlos Brathwaite’s fours sixes.
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This is also a big dent to the England Test side for the third Test against South Africa as Bairstow is the leading run-scorer in Test cricket worldwide this year having scored 1061 runs in 10 Tests in 2022, averaging 66. He’s struck 6 centuries this year in Test cricket and has been ruling the home Test summer.
England have added left-hander Ben Duckett to the squad for the South Africa Test match starting this Thursday, and a further announcement will be made on who will replace Bairstow in England’s squad for the T20 World Cup squad.
