LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - An out-of-favour Jonny Bairstow has joined former teammate Liam Livingstone in criticising the level of care shown by the England hierarchy to some of the players and is
Bairstow Joins Livingstone Criticising England Cricket’s Player Care
Concerns Over England Cricket’s Player Management
LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - An out-of-favour Jonny Bairstow has joined former teammate Liam Livingstone in criticising the level of care shown by the England hierarchy to some of the players and is looking forward to the English board rebuilding bridges with county cricket.
Livingstone’s Experience with England’s Selection Policy
All-rounder Livingstone recently said he was left out in the cold after being dropped by England last year, adding the current regime did not care about players outside the core group.
Bairstow Echoes Concerns
Bairstow, who was part of England's early success under head coach Brendon McCullum and test captain Ben Stokes but has not played a test since his 100th two years ago, echoed the same view.
Bairstow’s Critique of Player Care
"You need the care back in the game," Bairstow, 36, told the British media.
"It is OK saying people care about things - no they don't.
"If you are in the system, you are in the system.
"As soon as you are out of the system, you are out of the system."
ECB’s Response and Ongoing Criticism
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) conducted a review of the team's 4-1 Ashes humbling earlier this year before deciding to stick with McCullum and Stokes, while Rob Key will also continue as managing director of England's men's cricket.
Criticism of Player Selection
England were criticised for persisting with out-of-form players such as Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope in the Ashes series.
Calls for Accountability in English Cricket
Former England players including Geoffrey Boycott and Michael Vaughan have expressed surprise at what they called a lack of accountability in English cricket.
Complacency Among Players
Like them, Bairstow also felt certain players had grown complacent under the current set-up.
"When you become comfortable you become complacent, and when someone questions you directly you are not used to it because you are in an environment that is potentially not questioning you in a different way."
Rebuilding Bridges with County Cricket
Key has announced the formation of a "county insight group" to establish a stronger link with domestic cricket.
Bairstow’s Hopes for the Future
"The question you would ask is why have they disconnected in the first place?" Bairstow said.
"We will see if the proof is in the pudding. I look forward to hearing a bit more about the review."
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Shri Navaratnam)
