Like the top three conundrum, the enigma of who should keep
wicket for england is a tricky decision. There are too many options for just one
spot in the start XI.
In England’s thirty-man training squad there are four wicket
keeping options, three of which have experience in the Test match arena.
Yorkshire’s Johnny Bairstow, Lancashire’s Jos Buttler, Surrey’s Ben Foakes and
the newcomer, James Bracey of Gloucestershire.
I believe in two of the three options England already know
what they are getting in the selection. Bairstow and Buttler have been consistent
performers for England at Test match level. Both have been through rough
patches being in and out of the side. Bairstow is seemingly still in that rough
patch, having developed a bad habit of getting bowled through the gate playing
extremely expansive drives to full balls. This is something the Yorkshire man
can get away with in ODI cricket as the ball does not move around as much, but
in a Test match facing the dukes ball, which seems and swings this is practically
a death wish. Johnny is a devastating white ball player at the top of the
order, England do not need to mix teams so much, leaving Bairstow to focus on
white ball cricket will help him to become one of the worlds best. Bairstow is adamant
he wants to play Test Cricket again, but he shouldn’t warrant instant re selection
just because he has come out and said that, he needs to go back to Yorkshire
and prove he can bat against the red ball and score lots of runs.
Buttler is wildly frustrating for me to watch in the Test
arena. Jos has all the talent in the world, but he is not quite able to convert
scores into big hundreds. So far, the devastating batsman has played 40 Test matches
but only scored on century at an average of 32, which is not bad but England
need someone who can average around 40 coming in at number seven as Matt Prior
once did. The three lions need someone who will contribute more on a consistent
level. Also, the Taunton born Buttler has 15 half centuries but only one
conversion and this needs to be better for England. I think leaving Jos for a specialist
one Day keeper would also be for the best.
The next two options are my preferred choices for the test
match glove men. Foakes would be my number one choice by a long way, he has shown
signs of pure class in his career so far in terms of his batting. His
wicket-keeping is the best of anyone on this list. The Surrey man dominated in the
Subcontinent in his first series, scoring a century in his first innings. Centuries
are so tough to come by in Sri Lanka because of the conditions and the bowling,
however that innings proved he has the talent and temperament to succeed at the
level. The 27-year-old is unquestionably the best wicketkeeper in England, his
batting is just a bonus and another string to his bow. I believe with a long
stretch of time in the team, Foakes can prove himself as the right man for the
job.
James Bracey is the most intriguing out of the four possible
options because he has little experience at the England level. The 23-year-old
did tour Australia with the England Lions this winter and had quite an
impressive tour both as batsman and keeping wicket. Bracey must have really
impressed the England coaching staff and selectors because selection to this 30-man
squad is tough. In red ball cricket he normally bats at the top of the order
for Gloucestershire but spent time with the Lions at number 6. This really does
show a lot of versatility in Bracey which could come in handy with England. Being
only 23 I see the fluent left hander as more of a developmental prospect who
could learn from being in and around the England set up. However, I think
blooding him at International level sooner rather than later will increase his development
and make him a better player. The Bristolian also has an incredible record in
One Day Cricket, averaging 60, but I see him more as a future test match wicket
keeper.
Verdict: Start Foakes
Bracey backup
Bairstow and Buttler keep as one day specialists
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