England cricketer Jonny Bairstow has revealed that he is not with the England Lions squad, but instead, he is stuck in Dubai with his young family and fears for their safety. This comes amidst escalating military tensions in the Middle East.
Commercial flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been halted after Iran launched missile and drone strikes, preventing thousands of passengers from leaving.
The strikes are reported to be a reprisal for joint Israeli-US operations in Tehran, which resulted in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday.
Bairstow, 36, traveled to Dubai for a family vacation and confirmed on social media that he is not a member of the England Lions squad, contrary to popular belief. The wicketkeeper-batsman expressed his anxiety about keeping his loved ones safe while looking for a path back to the UK.
"For those writing that I'm with the England Lions team... I am not. I am with my young family in Dubai... sure the England Lions security staff will be doing all they can to get them out of Abu Dhabi, but I am trying to keep my family safe and get us out of here!!" he wrote on X on Monday.
For those writing that I’m with the England Lions team… I am not.
— Jonny Bairstow (@jbairstow21) March 2, 2026
I am with my young family in Dubai…sure the England Lions security staff will be doing all they can to get them out of Abu Dhabi but I am trying to keep my family safe and get us out of here!!
The previous day, Bairstow publicly appealed to the airline Emirates after his scheduled flight was cancelled. "We haven't had any communication post-flight cancellation. Tried the lines of communication, but nothing. Could someone please be in contact?" he posted.
@emirates we haven’t had any communication post flight getting cancelled.
— Jonny Bairstow (@jbairstow21) March 1, 2026
Tried the lines of communication but nothing. Could someone please be in contact.
He also rebuked UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer directly in response to the government's statement about the ongoing crisis, writing, "Can you get us home???"
Can you get us home???
— Jonny Bairstow (@jbairstow21) February 28, 2026
England's cricket itinerary has also been impacted by regional unrest. Sunday's 50-over match between the England Lions and Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi was cancelled.
The England men's team is keeping a tight eye on the situation before returning from the T20 World Cup in India, which was scheduled to pass through Dubai, while the England women's team postponed their departure for a training camp in the Emirates.
