Who should be England's wicket-keeper?

[Henners]

I've seen some good batting performances by James Foster for Nottinghamshire, so he does make sense for the wicket keeping role.

Jones is well past his best form and Read has never really had it. To be a top international player, you need a good start. Trescothick, Strauss, Vaughan, Flintoff, Harmison, Panesar, are a few who have crossed my head as players who "had a good start."

[Rachael]

Foster's batting was in division two last season... where the standard of the attacks and of the pitches made making meaningful judgement pretty well impossible... so make what you will of his 721 runs at 42.41. For guidance I've included the records of his colleagues... including Irani's 1075 runs at 59.72.

Name		M	I	NO	R	HS	Avge	100	50	Ct	St
A N Cook	3	5	2	424	132	141.33	2	2	5	0
A Flower	16	26	5	1424	271* 	67.8	6	3	17	0
G R Napier	2	3	1	131	62	65.5	0	2	0	0
R C Irani	16	23	5	1075	145	59.72	3	6	1	0
D Gough		7	7	4	173	52* 	57.66	0	2	1	0
M L Pettini	16	27	2	1125	208* 	45.0	3	2	14	0 J S Foster	16	20	3	721	103	42.41	1	6	65	3
V Chopra	8	14	1	523	106	40.23	1	4	6	0
R S Bopara	15	24	3	806	159	38.38	2	3	12	0

Edit: the side was in division 2 in 2005 as well....

Name		M	I	NO	R	HS	Avge	100	50	Ct	St
R N ten Doeschate	1	1	0	98	98	98.0	0	1	0	0
A Flower	15	24	5	1239	188	65.21	5	4	11	0 R C Irani	15	21	2	1133	103	59.63	1	9	5	0
A J Tudor	2	1	0	57	57	57.0	0	1	2	0
A N Cook	16	28	2	1249	195	48.03	4	5	12	0
Danish Kaneria	7	6	5	47	22	47.0	0	0	2	0
T J Phillips	2	3	1	91	89	45.5	0	1	0	0
W I Jefferson	14	24	2	842	149	38.27	2	3	10	0
J S Foster	16	23	4	696	107* 	36.63	1	4	33	6
R S Bopara	16	27	4	792	105* 	34.43	1	4	7	0

Edit: 2004 was no different...

Name		M	I	NO	R	HS	Avge	100	50	Ct	St
R C Irani	9	15	4	694	164	63.09	3	2	1	0
N Hussain	2	3	0	172	102	57.33	1	1	2	0
W I Jefferson	16	28	1	1411	222	52.25	5	5	13	0
J S Foster	16	24	4	927	212	46.35	3	1	39	5
A Flower	16	28	3	1045	172	41.8	2	5	18	0
A P Grayson	6	10	0	365	119	36.5	1	2	0	0
G R Napier	14	22	4	633	106* 	35.16	1	5	6	0
A Habib	13	21	0	722	157	34.38	1	4	3	0
J P Stephenson	3	4	1	90	40	30.0	0	0	0	0
A N Cook	12	21	2	568	126	29.89	1	4	18	0

[Golden Shower]

Read's batting is never going to be good enough at Test level.Presuming that Geraint Jones international career is all but over,I'd like to see James Foster being given a chance with the gloves.Matt Prior would be 2nd choice keeper.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Golden Shower

Read's batting is never going to be good enough at Test level.

At Headingley this summer, Read came in with the score on 192/4 and helped England to a far more useful 345 /5. He then returned in the second innings and in a 2-hour + knock he kept his head as the side imploded around him (he was last man out), almost single-handedly lifting England from 237/4 to their final total of 345. Over the two innings he notched up 93 runs.

In his earlier run in the side he battled successfully (ending unbeaten) to save the second Test in Sri Lanka (with only Vaughan and Thorpe doing more in that innings)... and then ran out of partners in the final Test as England imploded around him in Columbo: in both cases, one M. Muralitharan was wreaking havoc with his doosra... so neither achievement should be dismissed.

I'm not suggesting he's a great no 7 bat... but to suggest he's hopeless (just one Test after he ran out of partners against McGrath, Warne, Clark and Lee) is just plain wrong.

ps. I wonder how much pressure was added by having Flintoff the other end in the first innings of this Sydney Test? This is the captain who sat down with Fletcher and replaced him due to lack of confidence in his batting. Had it been Collingwood the other end... who knows: Read might have had far fewer nerves, showed greater composure and guaranteed his place for the forseable future!!!!

[Golden Shower]

I'm not saying Read's hopeless,just that in my opinion he's not good enough to bat 7/8 in Test's or ODI's.

His average in first class cricket is pretty good,but nothing more.6819 runs at 31.13.
Foster's stats - 4588 at 34.49 (admittidely not that much higher,still deserves another chance).
Prior's stats - 5676 at 39.14.

While I think it's pretty difficult to find someone who can replicate what Gilchrist does for Australia,England still need a wicketkeeper who can get runs lower down the order.Granted,Read hasn't been well treated or supported by Fletcher or various captains,but other ex-England players did advocate his dropping from the squad.Nasser Hussain for one.

[Rachael]

What I want to know is why so many people who've never been top glovemen OR Test batsmen are prepared to question Rod Marsh's judgements {a} that it's easier to teach a gloveman to bat than to teach a batsman to keep; and {b} that Read is an outstanding choice for England number 7.

Rod Marsh is no mug, and doesn't suffer imposters: if he thought Read was a no-hoper he'd say so... but he doesn't.

ps. One thing he HAS said is that Prior will never be a wicket-keeper: he doesn't rule out Prior playing as a batsman and great outfielder.. but sees no future for Prior behind the stumps.

[Keith]

Can Read play a gutsy inning so he can keep his place in the team?

[Keith]

Oh Dear, Read goes for 4 after facing 17 balls. Fortunately for him he got a juicy full toss and was able to punish it for FOUR!!!

[Zainub]

Came across this (its an article featuring some of the statistical highlights of 2006), the following info should add a bit of an interesting twist to this discussion.

England's under-fire wicketkeeper Geraint Jones topped the dismissals charts for 2006 with 46 catches and two stumpings in 11 Tests. He also picked up five dismissals in an innings on four occasions.

[Ninjaman]

Originally Posted by Rachael

What I want to know is why so many people who've never been top glovemen OR Test batsmen are prepared to question Rod Marsh's judgements {a} that it's easier to teach a gloveman to bat than to teach a batsman to keep; and {b} that Read is an outstanding choice for England number 7.

Rod Marsh is no mug, and doesn't suffer imposters: if he thought Read was a no-hoper he'd say so... but he doesn't.

ps. One thing he HAS said is that Prior will never be a wicket-keeper: he doesn't rule out Prior playing as a batsman and great outfielder.. but sees no future for Prior behind the stumps.

Maybe because being a top gloveman or Test batsman doesn't mean your opinions are always right!!!

There is absolutley nothing OUTSTANDING about Chris Read. Nothing!

And it might well be easier to teach a gloveman to bat, but Read is 28 and he better start learning fast!!!