Saturday 16 September 2017 17:40, UK
Jonny Bairstow is excited about the up-coming ODI series against Windies and insists the Ashes will not be a distraction.
The white ball action begins at Durham with a T20 match this weekend and continues with a five-match one-day series which concludes on September 29.
Less than two months later the 16-man England Test squad will be heading to Australia, and while some may have turned their thoughts to the Ashes, Bairstow says they cannot afford to allow themselves to be distracted.
He told Sky Sports News: "Obviously form is important and yes there will be guys pushing for a spot in the Test squad and hoping to be on that plane going to Australia later this year.
"At the same time, I don't think it will be at the forefront of peoples' minds because you can easily get distracted and lose your focus for the task in hand if you start looking too far ahead.
"First of all, we've gt a white ball series against the West Indies, who we know are going to be very tough and competitive opposition."
Jimmy Anderson took his 500th Test wicket and recorded career-best figures of 7-42 to help England secure a 2-1 victory in the Test series against the Windies - and Bairstow is happy the swing king now has some time off.
He said: "It was a great achievement by Jimmy and he's right up there with the very best, no question.
"It's been great to keep to him for the last few years, having the best seat in the house as it were, but maybe it has not been such fun when he has been swinging it both ways!
"Now, he has got some time off and he can put his feet and hopefully he'll be raring to go when the plane takes off on 23 November."
