England's head coach, Trevor Bayliss, has strongly hinted that Jonny Bairstow might stop keeping wickets. The goal is to free him up to focus entirely on his batting and truly maximize his potential at the crease.
With Bairstow sidelined by a fractured left middle finger suffered at Trent Bridge, Jos Buttler is the obvious choice to take over the gloves for the fourth Test against India in Southampton. Depending on his recovery, Bairstow will either be out of the squad or will feature solely as a specialist batsman.
Bairstow has made it clear that he prefers the dual role of keeper-batsman, but Bayliss stopped short of promising that he'd get the gloves back once his finger is healed.
Due to England's ongoing struggles with their batting lineup, Bairstow has already been pushed up to the number five spot, and Bayliss believes he could eventually slot in at number four.
The situation has become a real headache for England because Jos Buttler scored a century at Trent Bridge after stepping in as keeper. The data also shows a worrying trend: Bairstow is much more effective in the first innings (averaging 59.5) than in the second (33.5) after the physical toll of keeping wickets for a full session.
While Bairstow's glovework has come a long way since he became the full-time keeper in late 2015, the coaching staff has been questioning if the role is holding him back. They worry that the immense mental and physical exhaustion, combined with the endless hours of specialized training, is preventing him from becoming one of the greatest batsmen of his era.
Furthermore, when he isn't tied to the wickets, Bairstow is arguably the most agile and capable fielder in the entire England side.
The problem is that Bairstow has been vocal, both in public and behind closed doors, about his dislike for playing as a pure batsman. Bayliss acknowledged that they will eventually need to have a very tactful and difficult conversation with him.
“The hardest part will be getting Jonny on board with this,” Bayliss remarked.
“Ultimately, this is about what's best for the team. We are well aware that he is a world-class batsman, but the challenge lies in convincing Jonny that moving away from keeping is the right move for him.”