Jonny Bairstow criticises “care” shown by England regime under Brendon McCullum and Rob Key
While Bairstow scored four hundreds in the first four matches under the current regime in 2022, he suffered a serious leg injury late in the same year.
He returned for the 2023 Ashes but was dropped for his 100th Test the following summer, against India in March 2024.
The England and Wales Cricket Board’s review comes after this winter’s 4-1 Ashes defeat; this was a tour marred by poor planning, substandard performances and off-field problems.
Bowlers such as Mark Wood, who was selected despite missing only one Test to manage all summer after knee surgery, were blighted by injuries and the batting line-up also struggled, with only Joe Root and Jacob Bethell making centuries.
“It’s okay if people get injured fingers, but you have to be in the park,” Bairstow said.
“It’s okay to play four or five games in the summer and miss the rest, but you don’t back things up and that’s why you get injured.
“I have feelings for people like Woody. I have huge feelings for him.
“He bowls at 95 miles per hour and is expected to get in without getting behind any overs.
“No wonder he got injured. In my opinion, it wasn’t done right.”
Speaking on Monday, Key admitted Britain had “over-valued” loyalty throughout the series.
Instead of looking at others who were performing well in county cricket, they were left with underperforming batsmen like Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope.
Bairstow said: “As soon as people aren’t chasing you from behind, you become comfortable.
“When you’re comfortable, you’re complacent, and when someone questions you directly, you’re not used to it because you’re in an environment that potentially doesn’t question you in a different way.”
Lancashire all-rounder Liam Livingstone lashed out at the England hierarchy last week, claiming he did not want to be part of the final T20 World Cup squad and that coaches had told him he “cared too much”.
Asked about the chances of him being recalled, Bairstow added: “Looking at the last few years, I’m not sure that’s on their agenda.
“If I go out and score a few hundred goals at the start of the season, it will be an interesting question to ask them.”
