LEEDS // Jonny Bairstow is determined to nail down a place in England's one-day team after his latest "supersub" display helped condemn Pakistan to a defeat on his Headingley home ground.
First-choice Test wicket-keeper Bairstow was only told he was playing by England coach Trevor Bayliss just over half-hour before the start of Thursday’s match after regular one-day gloveman Jos Buttler suffered a hamstring injury in the warm-up.
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Bairstow responded with an assured display behind the stumps.
He then made a brisk 61 and helped Ben Stokes (69) add 103 for the fifth wicket as England, who had stumbled to 72 for four chasing a target of 248, eventually won by four wickets to go 4-0 up in this five-match series.
Last year Bairstow guided England to a one-day series clinching win over New Zealand – a key-staging post in their recovery from a dismal first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup – with an unbeaten 83 at Chester-le-Street after Buttler was ruled out with a hand injury.
There has been talk of England, the hosts of both the 2017 Champions Trophy and 2019 World Cup one-day tournaments, playing both Buttler and Bairstow in the same white-ball side, with one of them featuring as a specialist batsman.
But in the meantime Bairstow, who has already scored nearly 1,000 runs in Test cricket this year, is desperate to make the most of any one-day chances he gets, however late they come.
“It was about 32 minutes before the start,” Bairstow said after being asked when he knew he was playing in front of his adoring Yorkshire public on Thursday.
“Trev came over and just said, ‘You’re in’.”
However, with England on the up in one-day cricket, Bairstow wants to be more than a white-ball “reserve”.
“It’s a special group of players and we believe we can go a long way in world competitions and series,” he said.
“But naturally I’m frustrated not to be in that 11 week in week out.
“Every time I get an opportunity I want to try to impress and that’s all I can do.
“Whether that be keeping wicket, just playing as a batter, batting at one or 11 – every time you go out there you try to do your best.
“You’ve just got to take it on the chin, crack on and hope you take the opportunity when it does come along,” added Bairstow ahead of Sunday’s series finale in Cardiff.
Bairstow, the son of late former Yorkshire and England wicket-keeper David Bairstow, looked considerably younger than his 26 years on Thursday, having shaved off his beard after receiving a message from his mother, Janet, a Headingley administrator.
“I got told off by my mum,” he said. “My Grandma had been on the phone.”
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
