Remember he is 23 years old. Where was Gilly at 23? Probably not scoring 96 against a good English bowling attack at Lords, oh wait, Barry was actually only 22 when he did that.. hmmn. Not bad for a 22 year old. It seems to me that wicketkeepers, like spinners, have a tendancy to come into their own around 30 and mature as players and performers. Not too bad to be showing the talent and temperament Barry does at such a young age. He's also an outstanding wicketkeeper with quick feet and good hands, he's had to keep for a lot of overs while his bowlers have been carted over the last few series (except Bangers) and has made very few errors, it's a little easier to perform as a keeper/batsman when you're bowlers are firing and you aren't in the field so long - keep that in mind.
And yes, that LBW was out, but I think I was probably just assuming that yet another 50-50 call had gone against my beloved Black Caps. I've been playing cricket at a high enough level for long enough to understand that the decisions and luck which went against NZ probably wouldn't have changed the end result. But having been a player in those situations it's not as easy as the media like to say to just "shake it off" and don't let it affect you. Hell, when you see your teammates being constantly sawn off, and then you don't have any luck/decisions go your way in the field it can be the cruelest game in the world.
Just remember.. he's 23 okay. Just factor that in when you try to shoot him down comparing him to Gilchrist and others. When did Gilchrist debut? He was in his mid to late 20s from memory. I'm not having a go at Gilchrist, I mean how could you, he's fantastic, good to watch and a good keeper, but I am supporting Barry, he's about as good as any other keeper bar Gilly in the game at the moment. And lets not be children here and go on sheer stats, have a look at what you see, have a look at his impetus when he comes to the crease. Who else is there? Geraint Jones? Can't catch. Mark Boucher? Can't make the team. C'mon, does it hurt you Australians to admit that we have a star in the making here. If it's not clearly evident to you then you probably don't have much practical knowledge of the game, stats don't tell everything at a young age. Having played against guys like Barry and Franky at school and with guys like Richard Sherlock, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor at rep level it's pretty easy to pick those who have the goods, and trust me Barry does.
And yes, that LBW was out, but I think I was probably just assuming that yet another 50-50 call had gone against my beloved Black Caps. I've been playing cricket at a high enough level for long enough to understand that the decisions and luck which went against NZ probably wouldn't have changed the end result. But having been a player in those situations it's not as easy as the media like to say to just "shake it off" and don't let it affect you. Hell, when you see your teammates being constantly sawn off, and then you don't have any luck/decisions go your way in the field it can be the cruelest game in the world.
Just remember.. he's 23 okay. Just factor that in when you try to shoot him down comparing him to Gilchrist and others. When did Gilchrist debut? He was in his mid to late 20s from memory. I'm not having a go at Gilchrist, I mean how could you, he's fantastic, good to watch and a good keeper, but I am supporting Barry, he's about as good as any other keeper bar Gilly in the game at the moment. And lets not be children here and go on sheer stats, have a look at what you see, have a look at his impetus when he comes to the crease. Who else is there? Geraint Jones? Can't catch. Mark Boucher? Can't make the team. C'mon, does it hurt you Australians to admit that we have a star in the making here. If it's not clearly evident to you then you probably don't have much practical knowledge of the game, stats don't tell everything at a young age. Having played against guys like Barry and Franky at school and with guys like Richard Sherlock, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor at rep level it's pretty easy to pick those who have the goods, and trust me Barry does.
