Valid arguments on all sides in Jonny Bairstow IPL debate - Comment
JONNY BAIRSTOW said it himself. “These decisions are never straightforward.”
The Yorkshire captain knew that he would be polarising opinion after accepting an offer to sign for Mumbai Indians as a replacement player for the knockout stages of the Indian Premier League.
And as a man whose shoulders are as broad as his bat, he will be big enough to take the resulting fall-out.
It came, sure enough, on social media, where shades of grey are not often to be seen.
On Yorkshire’s own Twitter feed, Bairstow’s loyalty and commitment were questioned, the majority reacting in hostile terms.
“Lord Hawke and Brian Close turning in their graves,” said one.
“Would expect the Yorkshire captain to put Yorkshire first,” said another, the strength of feeling clear.
This, though, is an unusual case, one in which it is perfectly possible to see both sides of the argument.
Its very existence was created by exceptional circumstances, the escalating political tensions between India and Pakistan that led to a temporary suspension of the IPL, hence the putting back of the knockout stages which, for some players, now clash with international commitments.
One of those is Surrey’s Will Jacks, whom Bairstow will replace should Mumbai - currently in the fourth and final qualifying position - get over the line in their final two group games before the knockouts that run from May 29 to June 3.
Jacks is part of the England white-ball squad for the games against West Indies, Bairstow having gone unsold at the IPL auction long before his appointment as Yorkshire’s red-ball captain.
Now he will be far from home - and not even guaranteed to play a single match for Mumbai - while his side take on the County Championship leaders Nottinghamshire at Headingley from Friday, seeking to lift themselves up from second-bottom of the table after three defeats in six.
It has been a poor start to the season, with only a handful of players (Bairstow among them) having delivered to expectations, which has only magnified this situation and exacerbated the optics of it.
Depending on Mumbai’s progress, Bairstow could also miss the first two games in the T20 Blast, against Northamptonshire at Headingley on Friday week, and against Worcestershire at New Road two days later.
Yorkshire are led in the white-ball by Dawid Malan, himself fighting to be fit after a groin problem, with Yorkshire down to the bare bones personnel-wise.
Just as these decisions are never straightforward, with the game increasingly driven by market forces and the schedule impossibly congested, so it cannot have been an easy one for Bairstow to make.
He will know, as an intelligent man in his mid-30s, that it is perfectly fair for supporters to question the commitment of someone if they leave abruptly midway through a season to play for someone else - unless it is the national side that comes knocking at the door.
At the same time, Bairstow is entitled to the respect and gratitude of the fans too, for they surely cannot be in any doubt that he has always given 100 per cent when playing for the club over many years, a proud man – and a proud Yorkshireman.
Ultimately, he has decided that this chance is too good to turn down and is prepared to accept the negative noises that were bound to arise. That is his prerogative.
Most people - away from the heat and hostility of social media at least - will be able to see both sides of the coin.
From Bairstow’s point of view, he is 35, coming towards the twilight of a storied career, and although he is presumably not short of a bob or two, how many of those criticising would turn down an IPL pay cheque?
More importantly, one imagines, he sees this as an opportunity to keep himself firmly in the global shop window - perhaps in terms of playing for England again (he remains a centrally-contracted player paid by England), and definitely in terms of more franchise opportunities.
Ultimately, the financial and cricketing realities of the sport are vastly changed from when Bairstow made his Yorkshire first team debut in 2009, the opportunities for players much more varied and lucrative.
Yorkshire have also put themselves in this position as much as the other way round.
Indeed, as Gavin Hamilton, the club’s managing director of cricket, admitted: “Jonny has been open with us around his desire to play in the IPL from our very first conversation with him.”
It was Yorkshire’s decision, in other words, to make him captain.
Perhaps it is best to take a pragmatic position, recognising the sport for what it is now, not what it was and never will be again.
Lord Hawke and Brian Close may well be turning in their graves, but those fine fellows were born in 1860 and 1931 respectively, the world of cricket unrecognisable today.