IPL 2023: Punjab name Matthew Short as Jonny Bairstow’s replacement
An injury that Jonny Bairstow sustained in September 2022 has ruled him out of the upcoming IPL season. The English wicket-keeper batter’s position has been taken by the Australian Matthew Short for the upcoming edition. Notably, Punjab Kings will play the second match of the IPL 2023 against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali on April 1.
On Saturday, March 25, Punjab Kings made an announcement regarding Bairstow’s availability in the 2023 IPL on social media. In a video shared by PBKS on its official Instagram handle, the PBKS’ newly appointed head coach Trevor Bayliss said that the English cricketer will miss the entire IPL season. Trevor Bayliss also announced that Matthew Short has replaced Bairstow.
“We regret to inform you that our Sher Jonny Bairstow will not be a part of the IPL this season because of his injury. We wish him the best and look forward to seeing him in our colours next season. Punjab Kings are pleased to welcome Matthew Short as his replacement in the squad,” PBKS captioned the video.
See the video:
Bairstow started training in late February and the Yorkshire nets observed him batting earlier this week. People expect that he will play in Division 2 of the County Championship in May. However, the IPL franchise was informed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that Bairstow was not fit for the tournament.
The 33-year-old cricketer broke his left leg and dislocated his ankle before the third and final Test of England’s home series against South Africa in September. He suffered the injury while playing golf with friends in Yorkshire, and also underwent multiple fractures and eventually, a surgery.
After sustaining the injury, he has missed most of England’s international assignments, including the T20 World Cup. The 33-year-old cricketer has also missed tours to Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. He also didn’t feature in the inaugural International League T20 (ILT20).
