Jonny Bairstow wondered if he would ever be able to ‘walk again’ | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: After enduring a severe injury while playing golf last August, England star wicketkeeper batsman Jonny Bairstow found himself questioning not only his return to the game but even the ability to walk again. The injury forced him to remain sidelined for a grueling eight-month period.
However, on Wednesday, he received uplifting news as he was included in the England squad for the upcoming one-off Test against Ireland next month.
Bairstow, who was excelling in his cricket career prior to the unfortunate leg injury, understandably harbored significant concerns about his future following the incident. The setback had cast doubts on his ability to continue performing at the peak of his powers.
“You wonder whether or not you’ll be able to walk again, jog again, run again, play cricket again. Absolutely, those things do go through your mind.
“It depends how long you think about them. There are many different things, until you get back to playing, well… you wonder, is it going to feel the same?” he was quoted as saying by ‘ESPNcricinfo’.
He might never “100 per cent” recover from the injury but Bairstow can live with that.
“It’s quite funny, people have said, ‘You’re limping’. Well, I don’t know anyone that’s had a major lower leg injury that does walk exactly the same as previously.
“There are going to be little limps, there are going to be aches, pains, that’s part and parcel of it. Whether it’s knees, hips, ankles, lower back, whatever it is.
“When there’s trauma, there’s going to be an adaptation to the way that your body moves or your body walks, that’s just part and parcel of it. I’m not going to be running exactly the same as last year, but that’s okay.”
He is also confident that he will be fit enough to keep wickets as well.

“I don’t think it’s different to fielding – when you’re sprinting, changing direction. You’re squatting at the stumps and moving laterally, but you’re not running at 25ks to the boundary.
“So, it’s a different kind of fitness – the old legs and glutes are a bit stiff after that first day in the dirt but it’s part and parcel of it,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)