Ashes 2023: England names Jonny Bairstow in 14-man squad for fourth Test

Amid calls for him to be replaced for the fourth Ashes Test, England has decided whether to back in under-pressure wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

England has stuck with beleaguered wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow for the fourth Test despite his struggles with both bat and gloves.

Bairstow made 78 on the opening day of the Ashes series but has just 63 runs in his five subsequent knocks and has made more than half a dozen blunders behind the stumps.

However a push for Bairstow to be replaced by Ben Foakes — widely regarded to be the superior pure wicketkeeper — has fallen on deaf ears, with Bairstow named in a 14-man England squad for next week’s fourth Test.

With Ollie Pope having dropped out of the squad through injury, England has carried over its winning XI from the Leeds Test along with the rested Jimmy Anderson, Josh Tongue and spare. batter Dan Lawrence.

Anderson had been slated for a return at his home venue of Old Trafford next week however the performances of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes at Headingley have complicated the situation.

England has stuck with Jonny Bairstow for the fourth Ashes Test.

ENGLAND FOURTH TEST SQUAD: Ben Stokes,Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Originally published as Ashes 2023: England names Jonny Bairstow in 14-man squad for fourth Test