LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Jonny Bairstow believes he can regain his role as England’s Test wicketkeeper as players prepare to go head-to-head for a place in the side to face the West Indies.

England are gearing up for a three-Test series against the Caribbean side next month that will mark the return of international cricket after the coronavirus shutdown.

With no first-class matches in the run-up to the series, they will use warm-up games at Southampton, the venue for the first Test, starting on July 8, to assess players’ form.

Bairstow was dropped from last year’s tour of New Zealand, with England selection chief Ed Smith indicating his international future was as a specialist batsman.

He played just one Test in South Africa in December and was rested from the tour of Sri Lanka, with long-time rival wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and gloveman Ben Foakes selected instead, before the coronavirus cut short that trip in March.

But while the 30-year-old multi-format international said he wanted to play Test cricket again, he also made clear his preferred role.

“Over a period of time, I’ve been really happy with my ‘keeping,” Bairstow said yesterday in a conference call.

“That was the bit at the start of my career that people questioned but people have stopped speaking about it over the last couple of years.”

The son of the late former Yorkshire and England wicketkeeper David Bairstow, Jonny has been England’s wicketkeeper in 48 of his 70 Tests.

Bairstow, however, averaged just 18 with the bat in his last seven matches with the gloves.

How England see his future could become clearer when Smith announces on Wednesday a squad slimmed down from an initial 55-man training group for next month’s Tests.

Bairstow will be working on his batting during a net session at Durham today when he faces England quicks Ben Stokes and Mark Wood in preparation for a lively West Indies attack.

Bairstow said being dropped as England’s wicketkeeper had stung.

Bairstow, feeling refreshed after a lengthy absence due to the COVID-19 shutdown, has no doubts about the competitiveness of England’s upcoming camp.