Craig Kieswetter’s call up to the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour could mean Matt Prior’s limited overs days are numbered.
Matt Prior has been ok for England in ODI’s, but he hasn’t set the world on fire and Kieswetter’s performance for England Lions last week all but demanded he be looked at.
It’s good to see the English selectors being positive and bullish about this (although the timing of the announcement wasn’t the best), as in the past they may well have took the option that he’s not ready yet.
Prior hasn’t done a lot wrong at ODI level, but I don’t see any harm in having a look at the South African wicketkeeper as the T20 World Cup isn’t far away now. If the experiment dosen’t work, then the selectors always have the option to go back to Prior who has been a safe pair of hands over the past 18 months.
It appears to me that it’s Prior’s lack of explosiveness with the bat that is set to cost him his place, as in ODI’s just being a keeper isn’t good enough, Prior’s batting seems more suited to Test cricket.
I’ve always maintained that England should stick with Matt Prior as we haven’t got an Adam Gilchrist hiding anywhere in County Cricket. But now Kieswetter has made a case for his inclusion and must be given his chance.
It’s another step towards the South Africanization of the England team though, which I’m still not a fan off (I am aware of where Prior was born, but can’t imagine at the age he came to England that it was his choice). But the decision has been taken to pick English qualified players, as opposed to Englishmen, and as he qualifies he must get his chance.
Maybe that is a hypocritical view as I cheer when Pietersen scores a hundred, but I don’t want to see the day when an England team is represented by 11 players born in another country, it wouldn’t feel right to me. Could we really celebrate winning a World Cup with a team like that?
