Q: I have to do a speech next week presenting cases for the following keepers, Prior, Ambrose, Foster, Read, Jones and Mustard. I have done one for Foster seeing as he is my choice and it goes something like this. James Foster is generally regarded as the best glovesman in county cricket. His work standing up to the stumps is particularly impressive in the one day game. Foster should have been the first choice keeper after Stewart retired but a broken arm robbed him of his chance to get the job on a permanent basis. Nowadays keepers have to be able to bat as well and, while Foster isn't as talented as the likes of Prior he does average nearly 50 in county cricket this year only 7 runs less than Prior (runs he could make up with his keeping). He also scores big getting himself 4 hundreds this year. Surely Foster deserves a chance at the top level. I need a case for the other 5 and i was wondering if you could quickly make a case for one of them. It doesn't have to be in this form just a few notes is fine.
A: Let us see the test match career of the current wicket keepers and rate them. (Matches, Batting perf, Fielding perf, Overall perf, evaluated for 1,000 marks) Geraint Jones: 34/211/481/235 Chris Read: 15/174/463/201 Matthew Prior: 10/362/389/324 Tim Ambrose: 10/239/352/234 When we are choosing a wicket keeper, we should not look at his batting skills because specialist batsmen will have to do their job. Keeper has to keep wickets greatly. Few runs he makes towards the end do not matter really if he can get 1 or 2 catches or stumping more. The keeping skill as exhibited by Geraint Jones in test matches is outstanding. He has 3.91 victims per match which is very very high. Geraint Jones needs to be called back to the English test match team. ODIs: James Foster: 11/74/1000/155 Philip Mustard: 10/509/834/507 Geraint Jones: 49/252/783/306 Paul Nixon: 19/246/664/262 Chris Read: 36/180/655/217 Matthew Prior: 28/327/653/350 Tim Ambrose: 5/46/400/61 James Foster has not been playing International cricket for 6 years. Hence, I would suggest that Mustard should be taken in ODIs. His batting is a bonus.
Related items
- I want to take the Sleeve off my Cricket bat?
- Which country's team do you support when your team is not involved in the match/tournament?
- Do you think it is right for the cricketers to foresake their national duties to join clubs for higher pay?Why?
- When a cricket match reaches a stage from where the result it predictable, do you still keep watching it ?
- Which Batsman who's not from the subcontinent teams, plays the spin bowling best?