Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid available to bolster Yorkshire CCC’s T20 options

Martyn Moxon, the club’s director of cricket, said that he expected to have Bairstow and Rashid available for “something in the region of four games” before the start of England’s white-ball summer.

Moxon also confirmed that Lockie Ferguson, the New Zealand fast bowler, is set to be available for the entire 14-match group campaign as the club’s overseas player.

Yorkshire start their T20 programme against Birmingham Bears at Emerald Headingley on June 10, while England begin their white-ball programme with a three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka commencing on June 23.

“Jonny and Adil are lined up to start the T20 campaign for us,” said Moxon.

“That’s the plan – that they’ll play a few games before they then join up with England’s one-day squad.

“We’re hoping that we’ll have them for something in the region of four games, maybe, but that’s still to be confirmed.

“We’re certainly planning on having them for the 10th of June, that’s for sure, and if everyone’s fit we’ll certainly have a strong team on paper.”

Bairstow has played only three games for Yorkshire in the last three years due to his various England/franchise commitments.

Rashid – having given up red-ball cricket – has not played for the county since April 2019.

Joe Root is unavailable due to Test duty but, when the Blast does begin, Yorkshire will have a formidable look on paper as they attempt to improve on a record of having only twice reached Finals Day since the tournament started in 2003.

The first time was in 2012, when they beat Sussex by 36 runs in the semi-final in Cardiff before going down by 10 runs to Hampshire in a closely contested final.

They fell at the semi-final hurdle at Edgbaston in 2016 when Durham defeated them by seven runs.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire are set to provide the opposition for Ben Stokes’s comeback from a fractured finger that forced his withdrawal from the Indian Premier League.

Stokes is said to be on course to play for Durham in the T20 match at Chester-le-Street on June 11 having been left out of the squad for the New Zealand Test series that begins on Wednesday.

Chris Silverwood, the England head coach, said of the all-rounder: “Ben Stokes is making excellent progress following his fractured left index finger sustained last month in the Indian Premier League.

“If he continues to improve without any impact on his rehabilitation, we could see him return for Durham in the Vitality Blast competition.

“We will assess him again in the coming days.”

Stokes, who turns 30 this week, has not represented for his county in the T20 competition since their quarter-final defeat to Sussex in August 2018.

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