Matt Prior steps down.

[GT49er]

However, England only seem to be interested in all-rounder wicketkeepers - Prior, Bairstow, Buttler, Kieswetter.

Precisely - we don't have Bothams, Griegs or Dexters coming along often enough.

 

[Eeyore]

Even if you appoint the best gloveman if you don't change the mindset of "Must score runs to keep place" then sub-30 scores can affect confidence, then knocking on to affect keeping performance.

In Chris Read's case he was bombed out after the distrastrous 5-0 Ashes hammering in 2006-7. The tail behind him was unusually long, with Saj Mahmood in at 8, Harmison at 9(!), then Monty and Jimmy. Had he kept his place I fancy he would have prospered batting alongside his more competent county teammates Broad and Swann. However, Prior was in the right place at the right time and the rest is history.

Although, I would say, if James Foster hadn't broken his arm back in 2001, and we had a policy that selected Alec Stewart as a batsman, he would still be keeping for us now. Jack Russell regards him as one of the best keepers in the world.

I seem to recall that in his last test at Melbourne, when the Australians posted their usual 500 odd, he did not surrender a single bye. Even with our wayward attack.