Jonny Bairstow, a World Cup and Ashes winner, averaged 36.39 from his 100 Tests, though that dropped to 31.11 in 11 matches after his serious leg injury. Jonny Bairstow has criticised the England set-up, suggesting they need to bring "the care back in the game". The debate around England's dismal Ashes defeat continued on Monday when it was confirmed coach Brendon McCullum, director of cricket Rob Key, and Test captain Ben Stokes were to remain in their posts.

Wicketkeeper Bairstow was a key player in the early success under Stokes and McCullum but was dropped in 2024 and has not returned to the side since. "You need the care back in the game," Bairstow said. "It is OK saying people care about things - no they don't."

"If you are in the system, you are in the system. As soon as you are out of the system, you are out of the system." McCullum & Key lucky to survive Ashes review - Vaughan. Sacking McCullum would have been 'easy' - ECB chief.

Bairstow, now 36, scored four hundreds across the first four matches under the current regime in 2022 before suffering a serious leg injury later that year. He returned for the 2023 Ashes but was dropped the following summer, with his last Test - a match against India in March 2024 - his 100th.

The England and Wales Cricket Board's review came after this winter's 4-1 Ashes defeat, a tour blighted by poor planning, substandard performances, and off-field issues. Bowlers such as Mark Wood, who was picked despite missing the entire summer after knee surgery, only managed just one Test before breaking down with injuries, while the batting line-up also struggled with only Joe Root and Jacob Bethell making centuries.

"If people get a finger injury, fine, but you have got to be on the park," Bairstow said. "It is OK playing four or five games a summer and missing the rest, but you are not backing things up and that is why you get injured. I feel for people like Woody. I feel massively for him. He bowls at 95mph and is expected to just come in having not come off the back of any overs. There is no wonder he has got injured. He has not been done right in my opinion."

Speaking on Monday, Key admitted England "overvalued loyalty" throughout the Ashes series. They stuck with under-performing batters such as Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope rather than looking to others who had performed well in county cricket.

Bairstow said: "As soon as you don't have people chasing you up your back side, you become comfortable. When you become comfortable, you become complacent, and when someone questions you directly, you are not used to it because you are in an environment that is potentially not questioning you in a different way."

Lancashire all-rounder Liam Livingstone hit out at the England hierarchy last week, suggesting he did not want to be part of the recent T20 World Cup squad and was told by coaches he "cares too much". Asked about his own chances of a recall, Bairstow added: "Judging by the last few years, I am not sure it is on their agenda. It will be an interesting question for you to pose to them if I do go out and score a couple of hundreds early season."

In the absence of international duty, Bairstow captained Yorkshire in the County Championship last season, a role he will take on again this year. He will also be captain in the T20 Blast.

In response to their perceived indifference to county form, Key said on Monday the introduction of a new "county insight group" will offer input into selection and attempt to rebuild relations, including with county directors of cricket. "The question you would ask is why have they disconnected in the first place?" Bairstow said. "If you are trying to rebuild something, you are admitting you have done something wrong previously. It is good to know people are watching and nice to see there is some enthusiasm into the County Championship. We will see if the proof is in the pudding. I look forward to hearing a bit more about the review."

Gavin Hamilton, Yorkshire's general cricket manager, said: "They're making the right noises. Obviously, there could be one, two, even three positions available in the Test team, which is exciting. It's like what county cricket used to be at the start of the year. If they're a hugely successful Test team, you accept that you're not going to get in, but it's been frustrating, I can imagine, for players over the last two or three years and understandably. I don't want to say it was a closed shop, but it may have felt like that to some players. Certainly from our point of view, we've got a couple of lads that would be knocking on the door."