Matt Prior will have "made" it when (and only when) he is as accomplished at the stumps as genuine glovemen like Russell and Read. My suspicion is that (rather like everyone from Stewart and Jones to Boucher and Gilchrist) he'll fail. I suspect that (rather like Nixon) he'll never reach a basic grade of international competence (let alone challenge the elite level).

The likelihood of Moores initiating this nonsense was flagged up this winter when Davies played as a specialist batsman and Prior kept wicket... and the only good thing that can be said right now is that with Moores at the helm of the national side... he's at least removed from the academy: perhaps we can now see genuine glovemen promoted to the development squad!

That said... most are struggling to get county contracts!

ps. Ern has most cause for concern: the non-selection of Foster can only be because the management remain wedded to playing the same players in both the Test and ODI arena... as Foster is by far the better Test batsman.