Jonny Bairstow has been offered the opportunity to captain Yorkshire, following in the footsteps of his late father, David Bairstow, who led the club between 1984 and 1986. However, an official announcement has been delayed, partly due to Bairstow being on the radar of multiple Indian Premier League teams as a potential injury replacement—he was not picked in last November’s auction.
The 35-year-old still has six months remaining on his ECB central contract but has not been selected in any England squads since last June’s Twenty20 World Cup, bringing him back into the domestic cricket scene. If he takes on the captaincy role, he will lead Yorkshire into the 2025 County Championship season, which begins with a home fixture against Hampshire in just over a week.
Last season, with club captain Shan Masood unavailable for the Championship run-in, Jonny Tattersall stepped in and led the team to five wins in seven undefeated matches, securing promotion. Despite his success, incoming head coach Anthony McGrath has opted not to consider Tattersall for the Division One campaign, as he is not guaranteed a place in Yorkshire’s best XI.
In addition to Bairstow, Yorkshire will have the services of England Test batsmen Joe Root and Harry Brook during the early rounds of the season, though Brook will miss the first couple of matches as he takes an extended break following a demanding international winter.
Meanwhile, England’s first home summer fixture is a four-day Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, starting on May 22. Mail Sport understands that captain Ben Stokes is keen on assembling the squad for a training and bonding camp before that, preparing them for a crucial six months featuring a five-match series against India and the next Ashes series in Australia.
Yorkshire has also considered splitting the captaincy duties for 2025, with fellow England World Cup winner Dawid Malan set to lead the team in the Vitality Blast. This decision would allow Bairstow to focus on his top-order batting and wicketkeeping without the added pressure of decision-making in the faster-paced format.
Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
