Which type of players are hardest to find ?

[Betterpolo]

It was the toughest places to bat. Always swing and the occasional sticky wicket.

That's very fair and, yes, he played partly in the era of uncovers wickets. Knowing the conditions though I am surprised at the gap.

Played under ten England captains, now there's a good quiz question in there!

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

That's what I'm thinking, and why risk injury etc for franchise T20 leagues. Young English batting talent appears to have decided that developing keeping skills is the way to make yourself desirable.

As you say, Australia haven’t always seen the role as necessary, and I can’t see who plays that role for England after Stokes, though perhaps when he moves on, Carse might move up to 7 with Atkinson at 8

 

[AndrewB]

Played under ten England captains, now there's a good quiz question in there!

Could give as a clue that their surnames are all from the first half of the alphabet.

 

[Betterpolo]

Could give as a clue that their surnames are all from the first half of the alphabet.

Oh yeah, that's a freakish distribution isn't it!