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[Manormanic]

Okay, so I understand that Kumar Sangakkara doesn't keep in Test cricket to help his batting (and because Prasanne Jayawardena deserves a place in the side when fit, I suspect) but that Prasanna does not play one dayers, so Kumar keeps...

...all makes sense so far...

...but Prasanna is injured, Silva fails so Dinesh Chandimal, not from what I've heard a front line keeper anyway, is brought into the Test side to bat seven and keep...

...but is then picked for the ODI as a specialist batsman whilst Kumar keeps...

I think I need to go and have a lie down...

[justnotcricket86]

When you work out the answer to that, you will be able to tell us why Prior still doesn't get a shout for England....

[Buzz]

When you work out the answer to that, you will be able to tell us why Prior still doesn't get a shout for England....

I would also like to know this - but more from the point of view that asks why for someone clearly as good as he is his stats are so terrible.

As for the Sri Lanka issue - this is clearly to do with terrible Sri Lankan Administration and selection - otherwise Kumar would still be captain too.

[Manormanic]

When you work out the answer to that, you will be able to tell us why Prior still doesn't get a shout for England....

actually, ridiculous as it sounds, I can sort of see why he doesn't - his batting style is the perfect one to come in five down (should be four down) in Tests and accelerate the scoring with a wide array of off side boundaries but where does he bat in One Day cricket?

As an opener?  He lacks the ability to hit over the in field and is comparatively one sided so the bowling captain can to a degree close him down.

In the middle order (5/6) - he's not a six hitter at that level, and again his boundary shots are all in one direction so he's easy to tie down.

Lower order? Well, yeah, theoretically he could do so - but when there is so much cricket being played, it seems silly to have him batting there when he could have a rest and someone esle who might be able to fill the roles is tried.

Of course the flaw in this argument is that Foster, Davies, Kieswetter, Mustard et al have all been found slightly wanting...

[Buzz]

What if he batted at 4 in ODI stuff... He is good enough to and that would suit his batting most.

but then you have an embarresment of on paper riches in the middle order batting

[Manormanic]

Valid to say that that would be his best position - but do we really think that he is better there than any of Pietersen, Bell, Morgan, Bairstow, Bopara and possibly Patel?

[Buzz]

who  knows. we need a decent keeper and there is no reason why a keeper has to open.

[Johnny]

who  knows. we need a decent keeper and there is no reason why a keeper has to open.

What!!!!

your keeper HAS to open in ODI's doesn't he? Thought the ICC/MCC now insisted on this?

 

[Marcussjd9]

Prior's just not a very good One Day batsman.. simple as.
Different formats require different skillsets.

[Manormanic]

No, there isn't - but when we are really short of opening options even with Alistair Bleedin Cook selected so as he can gain captaincy experience, and when we do have five or six better middle order options, I can sort of understand why he's not in there.

[Manormanic]

What!!!!

your keeper HAS to open in ODI's doesn't he? Thought the ICC/MCC now insisted on this?

 

ROFLMAO!

[Marcussjd9]

No, there isn't - but when we are really short of opening options even with Alistair Bleedin Cook selected so as he can gain captaincy experience, and when we do have five or six better middle order options, I can sort of understand why he's not in there.

No there most definitely is. Being good in Tests and bad in ODIs isn't exclusive to Prior. Sangakkarra had a poor ODI record for ages, Ian Bell still isn't a great ODI batsman despite his performances in Tests. The list goes on.
Just look at Prior's List A record for Sussex, it's poor. He's just not good at that format.
Since the start of the 7 match ODI series vs Australia late in 2009, Prior's averaged 22 in ODIs and struck at 79. That puts him  on a lower level than Bresnan who averages 21.50 but has a SR of 90.
Other players he has a worse record than in this time period include Jacob Oram, Michael Yardy, Nathan Hauritz, James Hopes, Dan Vettori etc etc.
Get the picture yet?

[Buzz]

I agree with all that you are saying - I just think he is taltented enough to have done significantly better...

[uknsaunders]

Test cricket requires a good technique not necessarily the ability to improvise shots, it also places value on defending your wicket as opposed to containing your scoring.When you're strongest area is between cover and backward point, teams in ODI's quickly cut it off. He is a better player than his ODI stats show but not an improviser and what he does well is to bat, not hit. That is why Prior fails in one format and succeeds in another.

For my money Bairstow is the man. Can play properly with a FC record to back that up and also hits a mean ball for a little guy. That's not just because he comes down and watches our t20 games lol

[Manormanic]

More than that, boundaries are not as well protected in Test cricket, so Prior's almost exclusive predeliction for the off side is not as much of a problem - in ODIs, a captain can have a wide third man, a man on the rop just in front of point and a deep extra cover to Prior, and I do not think that he has the scoring options to work around that.