The England and Wale Cricket Board has put rest on the rumors of Jonny Bairstow returning to the England team in the 2nd Test. On Friday, batting coach Graham Thorpe has claimed that Bairstow will return to England’s squad after the opening Test match against India. The England and Wale Cricket Board initially gave Jonny Bairstow rest from the first two Tests. Several former English cricketers slammed the decision to not pick Bairstow as he is considered a good player of spin bowling.

Thorpe, however, claimed that Bairstow would be available for the second Test against India which starts on February 13 in Chennai.

“He is coming after first Test into the squad,” Thorpe said in a virtual interaction with the media on Friday. Bairstow was to, anyway, join the team after the second Test. Now, his arrival has been advanced.

But the ECB media team later sent out a message saying: “To clarify, the plan is still for Jonny Bairstow to return for the third and fourth Test and not the second Test. Along with Sam Curran and Mark Wood.” Former England captain Michael Vaughan had lashed out at England selectors for resting Bairstow as he ‘plays spin well’. “Surely @jbairstow21 stays with the Test team for the start of the #India series … makes no sense that a player who has only just got his Test place back & plays spin is well is resting !!!! #SLvENG !!#OnOn,” Vaughan had tweeted.

The decision to rest Bairstow is part of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s player management policy, which stresses on giving adequate rest to every English cricketer in a packed calendar year, which includes 17 Tests and the ICC T20 World Cup.

“I would say it’s a concern that one of England’s best three players of spin. I would say Bairstow is alongside Joe Root and Ben Stokes in that — has been given a boarding pass home and the others are going to Chennai,” Hussain was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.