Root stepping in as family illness forces Bairstow to remain at home

The wicketkeeper-batsman left India before the final Twenty20 fixture before Christmas for the same reason and his compassionate leave has been extended to cover the five-match series in January.

Bairstow, 23, has been replaced in the squad by fellow Yorkshireman Joe Root, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday tomorrow.

Bairstow made his one-day international debut in 2011 before breaking into the Test team in 2012.

The Bradford-born cricketer has won five caps for his country so far with the Yorkshireman impressive in making 95 and 54 during England’s defeat against South Africa at Lord’s in August.

More recently, Bairstow played in England’s second Test victory in Mumbai as cover for Ian Bell, who had flown home for the birth of his first child.

As one Yorshireman is swapped for another, Root, named 2012 ‘Young Cricketer of the Year’ in September, is subsequently set to be handed his England one-day international debut.

Sheffield-born Root made his Test and Twenty20 debuts against India this month.

The England squad departs for India next Wednesday ahead of the opening one-day international with India a week on Friday at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. With Bairstow also being a wicketkeeper, Somerset’s Jos Buttler will now be the secondary stumper to county team-mate Craig Kieswetter.

Bairstow becomes the third player to be withdrawn from the original touring party, alongside rested duo James Anderson and Jonathan Trott.

The schedule for Australia’s four-Test tour of India in February and March has been amended, with Hyderabad to now host the third match of the series.

The fixture from March 14 to 18 has been switched to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium 
as construction on the original venue at Green Park in Kanpur will not have been completed in time.