England team management’s patience with Jonny Bairstow finally ran out after the wicket keeper-batsman’s luck ran out with the bat. He was not picked for the New Zealand Test series after managing only 214 runs from 10 innings in the Ashes.

He has lost his spot to Jos Buttler as the wicketkeeper. But national selector Ed Smith has shown faith in him and mentioned that Bairstow would be an 'asset' once he regained form. "I remember sitting with Jonny when he'd missed a game in Sri Lanka (in 2018) and I said, 'it won't be long, not because I'm predicting somebody will get dropped but because you're a very good player and very good players come back'. A week later he was raising his bat having scored a Test hundred," Smith told the Sunday Times.

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He further said, "That will be one-way selectors can really contribute to successful teams - thinking about the person and having a strong sense of care, supporting them emotionally and psychologically, so if a crunch point is coming you manage it the best way. He's a key player who has played well in all formats. Jonny was selected in 2012 as an outstanding young batsman and since then his first-class average outside Tests is 57. That's how good he is and Jonny at his best would be a huge asset."

Smith further said that the choice of picking the final XI will remain solely with coach Chris Silverwood and captain Joe Root. "Chris is very organized and likes to have a clear process that happens every time," he said. "So we will have a call two days out before every Test match between me and Chris, or James (Taylor) and Chris. We'll look at the option... if it's these conditions that guy, in those conditions that guy. Two days out you have that discussion, so everyone is in the loop. I'm very comfortable with that. If the question is who should have the final say on the final XI, it should be the captain and coach, because you've got to go with what you want. That's as it should be,” he said.

"With the T20s in New Zealand, it wasn't a case of, 'What do you think about resting?' It was, 'You're rested.' It's crucial we attend to players' wellbeing," Smith said about player rotation policy.

He said, "I work closely with people who are intimately involved with the pastoral care of the England team. They respect confidences, however, there are times when people have said that this person might benefit from a break. Moving forward, rest and rotation will be a central part of good selection. Players must be well mentally and physically, and capable of performing at their best when we need them to."

(Sunday Times inputs)