Bairstow wants England to regain trust

Following a series of off-field distractions, Jonny Bairstow is keen for attention to return to the cricket ahead of the third Ashes Test.

Published : Dec 11, 2017 21:44 IST

Bairstow was forced to defend his conduct after it emerged he 'head-butted' Cameron Bancroft in a bar early on the tour.

Jonny Bairstow hopes England's players can regain the faith of their supporters in the third Ashes Test in Perth following a string of off-field controversies.

Joe Root's side will relinquish the Ashes urn if it is beaten at the WACA, with Australia 2-0 up in the five-match series courtesy of victories in Brisbane and Adelaide.

Read: Is England heading towards a whitewash?

While England's performances have been disappointing, much focus has also surrounded its behaviour away from the pitch.

Read:  Bancroft: I expected a handshake!

Bairstow was forced to defend his conduct after it emerged he 'head-butted' Cameron Bancroft in a bar early on the tour, with both players subsequently insisting there was no malice in the incident, and Lions batsman Ben Duckett was suspended last week for pouring a drink over a senior team-mate's head during another night out.

Head-coach Trevor Bayliss has expressed repeated frustration at his players' conduct in Australia, particularly after the Ben Stokes saga overshadowed the build-up to England's tour.

Acknowledging the need for England to make a positive impression in Perth, Bairstow told BBC Sport : "You want to go 'hang on a minute, this is actually what we're about'. There's an opportunity to do it on Thursday at the WACA."

Bairstow added: "The relationships we've got with people are very good and we're very fortunate for that.

"It's taken a bit of a hit but it's our jobs and our duties to rebuild those trusts and faith within the England cricket team."