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Former England captain Michael Vaughan has voiced concerns that Jonny Bairstow may have been unfairly sidelined following England's recent Test series loss in Pakistan.
The England team struggled with their batting in the last two Tests, particularly against the effective spin of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan. This was a stark contrast to their performance in the first Test, where they amassed an impressive 823 runs for 7 wickets on a flat pitch in Multan. England's batting lineup faced criticism, with vice-captain Ollie Pope under particular scrutiny after finishing the series with only 55 runs across five innings. His performance has been inconsistent throughout the year, with more low scores than high ones. Despite three centuries in 2024, Pope has only exceeded 10 runs in 13 of his 25 innings. Vaughan believes that Pope is not suited for the No. 3 batting position, arguing that successful players in this role need a calm and steady temperament, qualities he feels Pope currently lacks. "If Pope and England are honest with themselves, they have to recognise that even his best innings have lacked control," Vaughan wrote in the *Telegraph*, as quoted by *Wisden*. "One thing I am certain of is that Australia and India would love to see him walking out at No. 3 next year. If they get one of the openers out early, as will happen across those series, they know they have a great chance of a crack at Root early," he added. "Stokes is the one player who could absorb pressure," Vaughan commented. Interestingly, Vaughan suggested Bairstow should be reconsidered for a return to the team. The 35-year-old, who has played 100 Tests, was dropped before the 2024 home summer after a disappointing tour of India earlier this year. Despite holding a central contract for another 11 months, Bairstow has not appeared for England in any format since this year's T20 World Cup. "With Stokes at No. 3, Cox or Bairstow could bat in the middle order. I like that balance for facing Australia, who have Nathan Lyon. Stokes struggles against him, but if he's up the order, Lyon's impact could be limited. If he is bowling a lot, it means Pat Cummins and the other seamers aren't getting the full benefit of the Kookaburra, which softens quickly. Cox or Bairstow would be part of a line-up of right-handers who could tackle Lyon and the tiring seamers," he noted. (ANI)
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