WANTED: One English wicket-keeper

[Poker Boy]

Dear Mr. Fletcher,

I am interested in the vacancy in your side. I was a teenage prodigy in India so surely I have some talent. Although I have yet to score a test century, my test average is far superior to that of either of your wannabe glovesmen. I may spill a few crucial chances in the next Ashes, but I will provide balance to the lineup and I'm an energetic little chap.

p.s. come on sir, you gave ashley a chance to look good, please ...

Regards,

Parthiv Ajay Patel

Brilliant!!

 

[Bob Bamber]

Nic Pothas?

Easily the best keeper-batsman in county cricket, but I'm not exactly sure on his eligibility. He has played for South Africa in the past so England might be reluctant to pick him even if he was technically available.

I'm almost definatly sure that he can play for England next summer. Because they were touting him at the end of last summer and I think I heard it on the Radio last night. Definatly one for next summer.

With Regards to Steven Davies. He's too young in my opinion and needs to be given more time. I don't feel that rushing him in too early is the best option as guys like Read were given early chances and didn't look ready (Although Read still doesn't look like a test batsmen).

I don't know about James Foster. I didn't see him before he was injured (then dropped) from the national side.

I've seen Prior in the one day side and I really don't rate him. And others whove seen him in the longer form of the game have said that he isn't that special either.

England have plenty of keepers to pick from Nixon , Jones , Read , Prior , Pothas , Davies , Foster , Batty and there's probably a few more knocking around the county scene that I haven't heard enough about.

It looks asif Nixon will play the Commenwealth Bank Series and most probably the World Cup. Nixon wouldn't be picked if he wasn't going to play. I think the selection showed some doubt as to whether Read or Jones will ever don the gloves again. Nixon was a tactical selection. Not so much for himself. England believe that Nixon can do a stop gap job. Get England through the next two series. Its really delaying the envitable. I don't think England will stick with Read, or go back to Jones for that matter. Fletcher doesn't like Read that much , and I not sure how he could go back to Jones again , unless he found some serious form with the bat next summer with Kent. Then probably won't for a long time (If ever).

It leaves Foster , Davies and Prior as the three main candidates. I would personally go with Nic Pothas myself because him being 33 would mean that if he took the gloves for the next four years , it would allow Davies to come in at about the right time (24-25) into the fold. I have no idea who the selectors will go with for the fact that Fletcher may not be there (Certainly not in a selection role) next summer.

 

[steds]

England have plenty of keepers to pick from

Well yes. One from every county.

 

[steds]

Does Riki Wessels qualify to play for England? Has potential, imo.

 

[aussie]

It leaves Foster , Davies and Prior as the three main candidates. I would personally go with Nic Pothas myself because him being 33 would mean that if he took the gloves for the next four years , it would allow Davies to come in at about the right time (24-25) into the fold. I have no idea who the selectors will go with for the fact that Fletcher may not be there (Certainly not in a selection role) next summer.

Take out prior, really don't know why the selectors still consider him. But good to see another bloke pushing for Pothas. Only if he's picked IMO can Freddie bat @ 7 thus England can play 4 bowlers as people have been calling for. But the fact is Freddie is a very capable number 6 based on his record their since 2003 only series he has struggled in @ 6 since the Ashes in SRI 2003 & i can't see England dropping none of Harmo/Freddie/Jones/Hoggard/Panesar once all are fit.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Nixon wouldn't be picked if he wasn't going to play.

Is this the same way that Ed Joyce wasn't picked if he wasn't going to play?

 

[Bob Bamber]

Take out prior, really don't know why the selectors still consider him. But good to see another bloke pushing for Pothas. Only if he's picked IMO can Freddie bat @ 7 thus England can play 4 bowlers as people have been calling for. But the fact is Freddie is a very capable number 6 based on his record their since 2003 only series he has struggled in @ 6 since the Ashes in SRI 2003 & i can't see England dropping none of Harmo/Freddie/Jones/Hoggard/Panesar once all are fit.

And your right. Pothas would / should bat at number 6 and rightly so. I hope he is picked he's a very good batsmen and a good keeper. And you can see him scoring runs.

Is this the same way that Ed Joyce wasn't picked if he wasn't going to play?

Who said that Joyce was going to playing. The only thing I can remember was Strauss saying that he would be able to competantly bat anywhere in the middle order. Joyce is a young replacement.

As David Lloyd said and I agree 'You don't fly an 38 year old man half way across the world to carry the drinks'. Nixon plays. And for the CB series and the WC its a good decision.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Is this the same way that Ed Joyce wasn't picked if he wasn't going to play?

Slightly different. Nixon is competing with just one other person for the specialist role of wicketkeeper. Joyce was competing with practically everyone else but the wicketkeeper, seeing as there were suggestions that he might play for one of the batsmen or bowlers, pending the balance of the side.

Joyce was always unlikely to play.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

As David Lloyd said and I agree 'You don't fly an 38 year old man half way across the world to carry the drinks'. Nixon plays. And for the CB series and the WC its a good decision.

Except Nixon is 36. Don't date the man closer to death than he already is!

 

[marc71178]

Take out prior, really don't know why the selectors still consider him. But good to see another bloke pushing for Pothas. Only if he's picked IMO can Freddie bat @ 7 thus England can play 4 bowlers as people have been calling for.

So a specialist batsman at 8 then?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

So a specialist batsman at 8 then?

Read at 8. We all know Pothas can't keep wicket.

*stir*

 

[aussie]

So a specialist batsman at 8 then?

Don't quite get your point here yo?

 

[marc71178]

You said picking Pothas at 6 allows Flintoff to bat 7 and us to play 4 bowlers.

Therefore, only 3 of 8-11 are bowlers - so I'm assuming the other will be a specialist batsman.

 

[aussie]

Flintoff will be @ 7 he will be a bowler, plus Hoggard, Panesar, Jones, Harmo to bring up the rear. So actually the same 5 bowlers will be around..

 

[James90]

Four specialist bowlers, not an all-rounder like Flintoff. I don't know if you were joking or seriously thought he wanted a batsman at 8.

 

[McKanga]

Does Riki Wessels qualify to play for England? Has potential, imo.

Does it matter? If you have to ask you lack pride IMO.
England has something like 50 million people, surely 12 can play cricket? Sorry, 11 - they have one South African in the team already.

 

[Stumped]

england need more thatn a wicket keeper, they need some inform batsman, they also want the ashes!!

 

[Johnners]

Does it matter? If you have to ask you lack pride IMO.
England has something like 50 million people, surely 12 can play cricket? Sorry, 11 - they have one South African in the team already.

make that 9, they have 2 South Africans & a Papua New Guinean

 

[Stumped]

make that 9, they have 2 South Africans & a Papua New Guinean

 

[McKanga]

make that 9, they have 2 South Africans & a Papua New Guinean

Do tell? Pietersen obviously, quite a significant South African background. The Papua New Guinean? The other South African? I clearly have some research to do.