"There were a lot of people that were saying I should not be at the IPL" - Jonny Bairstow following his whirlwind hundred

England keeper-batter Jonny Bairstow has revealed that several people advised him not to play in the IPL ahead of the Test series against New Zealand. Bairstow, however, said that the lucrative tournament was integral to his brutal hundred against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.

Bairstow earned the 'Man of the Match' award in England's five-wicket victory on the final day of the second Test against New Zealand on June 14.

The right-handed batter hit a 92-ball 136 in the hosts' pursuit of 299 and added 179 with Ben Stokes to lead his side to a memorable win. England required only 50 overs out of the 72 available to complete their chase.

Bairstow revealed facing opinions that he shouldn't have been in the IPL ahead of a Test series but admitted that the tournament helps switch gears when required. The Yorkshire-born player also acknowledged that the current scheduling doesn't allow cricketers to have it both ways.

The Englishman said (as quoted by the Daily Mirror):

"There were a lot of people that were saying I should not be at the IPL and I should be playing county cricket. That's part and parcel of the game. But there's also elements to it where you are playing against the best in the world at the IPL."

He added:

"So being able to have those gears, to be able to go and switch them up, switch them down is important. Yes, people say it would be fantastic if you had four games of red-ball cricket under your belt. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen in the current scheduling of everything around the world."

Bairstow, who has scored three centuries in his last six Tests, reached the three-figure mark in only 75 deliveries. He hammered seven sixes in his knock and helped the hosts clinch the series with one game left to play.

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"Everyone has got complete backing from Brendon and Ben about how they want to go about their games" - Jonny Bairstow

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. (Credits: Getty)

Bairstow credited Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for giving them freedom and is excited for the future under them. In this regard, he added:

"Everyone has got complete backing from Brendon and Ben about how they want to go about their games. I’ve played under lots of coaches and captains and they’ve all brought different good bits out of me, and I’m extremely excited about the vision Brendon and Ben have for the team."

He continued:

"It has only been a couple of weeks so the relationship is evolving and everyone is learning their part, but there hasn’t been a negative thought in the dressing room. It is the start of an exciting journey."

The third and final Test begins on June 23 at Headingley in Leeds.