Exclusive: Moxon believes sky is the limit for Bairstow

Moxon feels the sky is the limit for the young Yorkshire star, who is enjoying a splendid season with the bat and the gloves.

Bairstow, 21, has been widely tipped to play for England sooner rather later and has already gained England Lions recognition.

Moxon believes the burgeoning batsman/wicketkeeper could become not just a top England player – but one of the best in the world.

Speaking ahead of today’s Twenty20 Cup game against Lancashire at Headingley Carnegie (5.40pm start), Moxon outlined his admiration for the player.

“Jonny could go on to be one of the top cricketers in the game eventually. He is that good,” said Moxon.

“If he can control his emotions and keep his composure when he’s batting, he is going to be a very special player.

“I think the sky is the limit for him because he’s got that much ability.”

Bairstow has been far and away Yorkshire’s best batsman this summer in first-class cricket.

He has scored 788 runs at 60.61 and is the fifth-highest scorer in the country behind Marcus Trescothick (978), Alastair Cook (969), Dale Benkenstein (868) and James Taylor (791).

Bairstow scored his maiden century against Nottinghamshire last month, converting it into a double hundred.

He followed up with another century against Somerset at Taunton, his last 10 scores in the County Championship reading: 76, 28, 80, 136, 17, 22, 1, 83, 205, 50no.

Bairstow appears to have so much time at the crease he should rightly have a cigar in one hand and a bat in the other.

The way he took to Monty Panesar in Yorkshire’s last Championship match against Sussex at Hove, casually swatting the England bowler as though dismissing a fly from his presence, was indicative of his flair and fearlessness.

“Jonny has remarkable power at the crease,” added Moxon.

“He can dominate bowlers that normal players can’t dominate and hit balls that lesser mortals have to defend.

“If anything, we’re trying to get him not to over-hit it.

“He got out eventually in the deep against Panesar, and there are still times at the moment when Jonny perhaps has that little rush of blood but he’s learning all the time.

“The great thing about Jonny is that he doesn’t have to try to hit the ball hard.

“He can do that anyway just by playing normally.

“If he trusts his timing, he can still generate exceptional power.

“He is an extremely difficult batsman for bowlers to deal with.”

Although Yorkshire do not want Bairstow to be overly-aggressive, they do not want him to curb his natural instincts.

In the Twenty20 Cup, they have promoted him to open the batting with captain Andrew Gale precisely because they want him to find the boundary as often as possible.

Moxon explained the thinking behind the decision to pit two aggressive stroke-makers at the top of the order.

“With Andrew and Jonny, we feel we’ve got two players who can cause real damage in the first six overs of power play,” he said.

“It also gives Jonny maximum opportunity to maybe get a hundred.

“We feel that with the way he’s playing, and with what he’s capable of, he could possibly get a three-figure score in Twenty20.

“As such, giving him the most amount of time to bat will theoretically benefit him and the team.

“We could bat him down the order in Twenty20 cricket and he could obviously cause real damage there.

“But if we bat him at No 5 or No 6, he might only get in for four or five overs whereas he could potentially get a hundred opening the innings.”

Bairstow is Yorkshire’s wicketkeeper in four-day cricket and will tonight don the gloves in Twenty20 for the first time this season.

That is because Yorkshire have decided to omit Gerard Brophy from their 13-man squad, with Ajmal Shahzad returning from an ankle injury.

Brophy had been preferred behind the stumps because Bairstow is the better outfielder of the two.

But Brophy has managed only 23 runs in this year’s tournament and now has to fight to win back his place.

Bairstow has worked hard on his wicketkeeping of late and has clearly benefited from greater exposure.

Having that second string to his bow can only further his hopes of playing for England in all forms of the game.

Bairstow and his Yorkshire team-mates will be targeting a quickfire double over their Roses rivals tonight.

A bumper five-figure crowd is expected as Yorkshire seek to build on last week’s dramatic two-wicket victory at Old Trafford.

Yorkshire have won two and lost two of their opening five group games, with the other match at home to Northamptonshire a victim of the weather.

Yorkshire (from): Gale (capt), Bairstow, Lyth, McGrath, Root, Ballance, Shahzad, Pyrah, Rashid, Rafiq, Sidebottom, Patterson, Wainwright.