From an early age, Jonny Bairstow had to deal with adversity and contrasting emotions in life, personally as well as professionally.
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Bairstow was just eight years old when he had to deal with the loss of his father, former Yorkshire and England wicketkeeper David, who tragically took his own life in 1998.
And other setbacks helped fire the determination in the flame-haired youngster to succeed – and create his own history.
While trying to follow in the cricketing footsteps of his dad, Bairstow showed talent in rugby, football and even hockey.
He was a fly-half who idolised Jonny Wilkinson, and spent seven years at boyhood heroes Leeds United alongside current England stars Fabian Delph and Danny Rose.
He experienced highs and lows, pressure and pride, which all shaped a strong personality, with which the 25-year-old was able to deal with any disappointment that inevitably comes in sport.
Obviously, he did not want his last England appearance to be a second-innings duck in the fifth Test defeat to Australia in Sydney, which sealed a 5-0 Ashes whitewash. “Definitely not,” he says.
The desire to bounce back proved greater than the despair as, 15 months on from that humiliating series, he is now back in the England fold for their current tour of the West Indies. “
You have to deal with being dropped, it happens,” he says bluntly. “I’ve been lucky to play a lot of different sports and you get selected and you do not get selected. It’s something you have to deal with.
“Having those tougher experiences when I was younger definitely has stood me in good stead now.
“I played cricket all the way through, but loved my rugby when I was at school. I actually looked up to Jonny Wilkinson. I remember watching the World Cup final in 2003 at school and that inspired me to play rugby for as long as I did.
“I was lucky enough to pay a bit of county rugby too. Potentially it helps with the cricket – the pressure, you’ve got the decision making, being the leader of the backline – so hopefully, it has impacted in a positive way for my cricket.”
So was being part of a Leeds academy that spawned a talented group hell-bent on making it to the very top.
“I played there up to 16 and in my age group, there was Fabian Delph, Danny Rose, and Michael Woods and Tom Taiwo, who went down that year to Chelsea for £5 million (Dh26m). They were in my side and it was a pleasure to play with them and see them doing so well.
“I started off up front and then moved to right back at the end of it. It was fantastic to be part of that. Those times on a soggy Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Thorp Arch [training ground] will never be forgotten.
“We were all ambitious. I think it’s everyone’s ambition to play for your country, no matter what sport, and to do something you enjoy and go as far as you can.
“I didn’t make it at football, and rugby was developing so much that I don’t think I would have made it at that either.“I was better at cricket and I’ve been lucky enough to play for Yorkshire for a while now and enjoying it. Hopefully, things will continue like that.”
Bairstow’s positivity has helped him regroup and refocus, but if he needed any encouragement that he could revive his international career, he needed to look no further than his team-mates.
Veteran fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom had to endure a six-year wait between his first and second England appearance after his Test debut in 2001, while fellow paceman Liam Plunkett was in the wilderness for seven years.
Adil Rashid is another who shone with the England Lions, alongside Bairstow, in the winter to earn a Test series call after last playing for his country in 2009.
“Without a doubt I wanted to play for England again,” adds Bairstow, who is part of a six-man Yorkshire contingent in the Caribbean alongside Plunkett, Rashid, Joe Root, Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth.
“It’s something I enjoyed doing and hopefully I’ll play well enough and impress well enough to get the nod again. You are only going to get in by your weight of performance, scoring a lot of runs and keeping well.
“It’s disappointing when you are out, but you have to be positive about coming back. When you are out, it drives your hunger that when you are back in, to stay there for as long as possible. There’s a lot more to come from me, without a doubt.
“It’s going to be a fantastic summer for England with the Ashes coming up and of course, everyone wants to be part of that. The World Cup was disappointing, but it’s now a chance to move on from that.”
Bairstow certainly moved on last season, channelling the hurt of his England axe to help Yorkshire claim a first County Championship success in 13 years. Now he wants more honours to become part of club folklore like his father, who spent 20 years with the county.
“Of course there’s pressure,” he says. “But pressure comes with everything, even with your schoolwork when you are missing lessons to go out and play sport.
“If you over-think it and you are not sure, then it can be a burden, but the pride that it gives me to play for Yorkshire is huge, and especially after dad had such a long career here.
“I’ve achieved things in my name now, but I’m only at the start. It’s a journey that will hopefully last 10-15 years. It’s a journey, something I can write myself into Yorkshire history, which I am keen to do.”
Despite being without their England stars and captain Andrew Gale banned, Yorkshire opened the season in style with a crushing 10-wicket win over Worcestershire. Indian Cheteshwar Pujara, a late overseas replacement for Younus Khan, made a duck on his debut, but is expected to show his quality once he settles.
And soon will follow Australian World Cup winners Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch to bolster their bid for glory in the one-day and T20 formats, and New Zealander Kane Williamson at the back end of the season.
“We’ve got a very strong squad and the overseas signings we have made, only enhance that,” says Bairstow, whose side also triumphed in Abu Dhabi against the MCC last month during their UAE tour. “It’s an exciting time moving forward.”
