I class myself as a keeper who can bat a little, although I have opened the innings on occasions and tonked a few. I'm not sure if other keepers on here would agree but I've found that if I've batted for a long time my keeping suffers and if I've kept really well my batting goes downhill.
It makes you realise that the likes of Knott and Russell worked hard at their trade, look at Matt Prior.
Quiet proficiency is the hall mark of an expert, Prior only gets noticed when he makes a mistake and should I believe be playing the shorter forms of the game.
Jos Buttler is at the moment first choice for 20/20 and can only get better, Sarah Taylor is having a bit of a lean patch as well.
Can't believe that the list doesn't include Knotty, get the stats books out and check him out.
Gilchrist is credited with changing the role of the keeper in the game and I totally agree.
Old Iron gloves Marsh apparently only got a game cos he was mates with the Chappell brothers and played club cricket with Dennis Lillee but he became a phenomenal keeper.
Great thread..............specialist keeper all the time for me after all we have specialist batsmen don't we.........