Picture Credit: Twitter
The swashbuckling batter, Jonny Bairstow has been announced as the winner of the inaugural Bob Willis Trophy, which is the honour given to England’s Player of the Year. Originally, the Trophy was conceived as the first-class cricket tournament during the covid pandemic but now has been discontinued. However, it has got a new life by the Writers’ Club to award the men’s and women’s players for their striking performances.
Bairstow has received this honour for his superb performances in Summer 2022, which has helped England to seal three successive Test series victories against New Zealand and South Africa, and a one-off red-ball match against India. The 33-year-old batter averaged 75.66, which also included four centuries.
In this regard, Bairstow reckoned that he will remember this summer for a long time, and was delighted to bring happiness to the fans. Furthermore, the elegant batter revealed the inspiration he took from England’s 2005 Ashes victory and hoped that the team put on a similar show for the younger generation.
“It’s one of those summers that we’ll all remember as a group of people and I’m sure as a cricket nation,” Bairstow said, after accepting the award.
“I remember the 2005 Ashes very fondly and was inspired by the spectacle those guys put on. Hopefully, we have inspired the next generation or people who haven’t played the game who flicked on and entertained them.”
In the form of his life, Bairstow, unfortunately, sustained an ankle injury, which has made him unavailable for the rest of the year. He will not be available for England’s next series against Pakistan in December.
