Jonathan Marc Bairstow (born 26 September 1989) is an English cricketer who plays internationally for England in all formats. In domestic cricket, he represents Yorkshire, and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues, including for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League.
Bairstow made his One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) debuts in 2011, and Test debut in 2012. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Bairstow plays as a right-handed Wicketkeeping Batter. Along with Ben Stokes, he holds the world record for the highest sixth-wicket stand in Tests: 399 against South Africa during England's 2015-16 tour.
Early life
Bairstow was born on 26 September, 1989 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, the second son of former Yorkshire and England wicket-keeper David Bairstow and the younger half-brother of former Derbyshire player Andrew Bairstow. He displayed early talent when he was chosen as the inaugural winner of the Young Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year award, after scoring 654 runs in 2007 for St Peter's School. Bairstow also played for the Leeds United youth football team.
Early career
During the 2008 season, Bairstow played second XI cricket for Yorkshire. In six championship matches, he scored 308 runs at an average of 61.60. He was called up to the first-team squad for the final County Championship match of the season against Sussex but failed to make the starting eleven. He nevertheless signed a two-year contract with Yorkshire.
Bairstow began the 2009 season playing second XI cricket but after scoring 202 not out against Leicestershire seconds, he was called up into the first-team match with Somerset when Michael Vaughan was ruled out through injury. On his first-class debut he top scored in the second innings with an unbeaten 82. In Somerset's second innings, he took over the gloves from an injured Gerard Brophy and took four catches.
Bairstow was a regular in the Yorkshire team in 2010, playing 16 first-class matches and scoring 918 runs. He averaged more than 40 for a second successive season, but could not convert any of his eight fifties into a maiden century. His performances led to selection for the England Performance Programme squad to tour Australia in 2010/11.
He took the gloves for the 2011 season and started well with the bat by scoring his first century against Nottinghamshire in May, finishing on 205. He was the only Yorkshire batter to score over 1000 runs in the season and on the back of his strong performances was called up to the England one day squad.
International career
Breaking into the ODI and T20I teams – early career
Bairstow was a member of the England ODI squad for their match against Ireland in August 2011; however, he was not picked to play. He made his debut the following month after he was called up for the final ODI against India. Playing as a specialist batter, he scored an unbeaten 41 off just 21 balls to help England reach a Duckworth-Lewis adjusted total. His innings included three sixes, the first off just the fifth ball he faced, and he was named Man of the Match.
On 11 October 2011, Bairstow hit a century off 53 balls as England beat a Hyderabad Cricket Association XI in a warm up game for a series against India.
On 25 February 2012, Bairstow was named man of the match in the second T20 of the series between Pakistan and England at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, England won the match.
After a successful start to the 2012 season, scoring two hundreds for Yorkshire, Bairstow was named in the England squad for the first test against the West Indies at Lord's, an injury having ruled Ravi Bopara out of selection. This was Bairstow's test debut, and close family friend and former Yorkshire and England cricketer, Geoff Boycott, presented him with his cap.
Bairstow was selected to play for the England Lions in one of the warm-up games for this series. He came in as the 7th batter and scored 50 runs before being caught by Ravi Rampaul. Bairstow also made 5 catches throughout the match.
Bairstow made his debut in the 1st Test against the West Indies at Lord's. Bairstow's first major involvement in the test was when he caught Marlon Samuels for 31 runs. Bairstow came in as the Number 6 batter in England's 1st innings and made 16 runs off 27 balls hitting 3 fours however he was out from an LBW bowled by Kemar Roach. Bairstow finished the series on a positive note (with England taking the series 2–0) and with an overall score of 38 runs.