England’s star wicket-keeper batter Jonny Bairstow was recently named in the national side’s squad for a one-off Test against Ireland in place of Ben Foakes. Notably, Bairstow met with a horrific accident while playing golf last year in September and sustained multiple fractures, a dislocated ankle and ligament damage that ruled him out of action for almost eight months. The injury even forced the right-handed batter to miss six Tests and England’s 2022 T20 World Cup triumph.
Later, Bairstow also pulled himself out from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 to get completely fit ahead of the important Ashes series. The 33-year-old’s hard work and determination finally paid off when he was included in the squad for the Test against Ireland scheduled ahead of the Aussie challenge.
It is noteworthy that before getting prone to injury, the wicketkeeper-batter was at his peak form and scored 681 runs in Ben Stokes‘ first summer as England’s Test skipper at an average of 75.66, including four centuries.
Speaking about the setback he suffered, Bairstow has now revealed his fear and anxiety from the injury days. The English batter confessed that there was a time when he used to wonder whether he would ever be able to walk again or not.
“You wonder whether or not you will be able to walk again, jog again, run again, play cricket again. Absolutely, those things do go through your mind. It depends on how long you think about them. There are many different things, until you get back to playing, well… you wonder, is it going to feel the same?,” Bairstow was quoted saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Bairstow further also opened up about his changed walking style after the injury and admitted that he wouldn’t be running like before.
“It is quite funny, people have said, ‘You are limping’. Well, I do not know anyone that has had a major lower leg injury that does walk exactly the same as previously. There are going to be little limps, there are going to be aches, pains, that is part and parcel of it. Whether it is knees, hips, ankles, lower back, whatever it is,” added Bairstow.
“When there is trauma, there is going to be an adaptation to the way that your body moves or your body walks, that is just part and parcel of it. I am not going to be running exactly the same as last year, but that’s okay,” he concluded.
