Yorkshire clash with ECB as Jonny Bairstow is ruled out of title decider

Yorkshire wanted Bairstow to play in the game at Lord’s, starting tomorrow, after overseas batsman Jake Lehmann was recalled early by South Australia to prepare for their domestic season and because leg-spinner Adil Rashid has chosen to rest ahead of England’s winter tours, a move condemned by Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale on Twitter.

But Yorkshire’s appeal to the ECB was thrown out by director of cricket Andrew Strauss and coach Trevor Bayliss, with England having previously announced that Bairstow and his Yorkshire team-mate Joe Root would take no further part in the county season ahead of a busy winter.

Yorkshire, who are attempting to become the first county to win a hat-trick of titles since they themselves achieved it almost 50 years ago, say that circumstances should have forced a rethink and insist that Bairstow wanted to play and is feeling refreshed after the international summer.

It has made for a chaotic backdrop to first-team coach Jason Gillespie’s last match in charge, with Yorkshire needing to beat leaders Middlesex and also better third-placed Somerset’s points tally against Notts at Taunton to win the title.

The champions have at least been heartened by pace bowler Ryan Sidebottom agreeing a new one-year contract that will take him into his 20th year as a professional.

Sidebottom, 38, said that he hoped it would “give everyone a boost in a massive week for all connected with the club”, adding that his long-term goal is to stay at Yorkshire as a bowling coach.

This week, Sidebottom is aiming to win his sixth Championship, and his fourth with Yorkshire.

In response to England’s decision on Bairstow, however, Yorkshire made no attempt to disguise their contempt for the ECB.

“The Yorkshire County Cricket Club would like to express its disappointment after the ECB refused the club’s request for Jonny Bairstow to participate in the final Specsavers County Championship fixture of the season,” read a club statement.

“Yorkshire members, supporters and other stakeholders in the game will wonder why this permission has been refused.

“Having been rested for 16 days since he last played for England, Bairstow said he felt refreshed and wanted to play for Yorkshire against Middlesex at Lord’s, where the club has the opportunity of winning three successive County Championships, a feat last achieved almost 50 years ago.

“Although not a centrally contracted player for the last 12 months, Yorkshire required clearance from the ECB to play Bairstow.

“The club’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon contacted the England hierarchy, but has been refused permission to play Bairstow by director of England Cricket Andrew Strauss and England coach Trevor Bayliss.

“Moxon works closely with England due to the fact that six players from Yorkshire have represented their country regularly over the last 12 months.

“Bayliss’ approach has been to see how the player feels, and this was respected when Bairstow said that he needed a rest after the Royal London One-Day Series. To put matters into context, other centrally contracted players who are soon to tour Bangladesh and India with England have been allowed to represent their county in critical matches.

“Bairstow has played five days of cricket in five weeks since the Kia Oval Test match, which finished on Sunday August 14.”

In response to Yorkshire’s statement, an ECB spokesperson told The Yorkshire Post: “We understand Yorkshire’s disappointment, but stress that Jonny Bairstow’s absence has been known for some time.

“Andrew Strauss talks regularly with all counties about England international players and it was made clear in July that Bairstow would not be available for the last two games of the season.

“As was explained, it was felt important that he has a period to rest and recover ahead of the winter tours to Bangladesh and India, which will see England cricketers face three ODIs and seven Test matches in the space of two-and-a-half months.”

Although there was no mention of Rashid in Yorkshire’s statement, captain Gale betrayed his feelings on the player’s decision to sit out the club’s most important match of the season when asked on Twitter yesterday: “Can you confirm the rumours Rashid has asked to be rested? Very poor if true. Letting a lot of people down.”

Gale replied: “Yes, he wants to rest. That’s his decision. I’ll take 11 lads on the field who will give everything to win.”

When asked what he thought of the ECB’s stance on Bairstow, Gale – who was banned by the governing body and prevented from lifting the trophy in 2014 after an on-field altercation – quipped: “No comment, don’t want another ban.”

The captain added that he “can’t wait” for the Middlesex match and said that the players who do play will “run through a brick wall for the county”.

Yorkshire squad versus Middlesex: Ballance, Bresnan, Brooks, Gale (captain), Hodd, Lees, Lyth, Patterson, Plunkett, Rafiq, Sidebottom, Leaning, Willey.