With announcement that Leicestershire’s wicket keeper, Paul Nixon, has been drafted into the England One Day squad ahead of the triangular series in Australia, there are a few people who have been left scratching their heads in the wake of the decision.

To get a greater insight into this selection, www.surreycricket.com spoke to Surrey’s first team coach, Alan Butcher, to get his thoughts.

'Batty has produced results that have put him with the best of his type in the country'
“Everyone in cricket knows what a good professional Paul Nixon is. However from a Surrey perspective it’s extraordinary that Jonathan Batty has been overlooked again.”

“Whenever these things are discussed, JB (Batty) never seems to come into the equation. I just think that it is ridiculous, that, here you have a player who is up there with any wicket-keeper / batsman in the country but he never rates a mention.”

“The career records of all the main contenders are similar. Nixon has had a long career and with no disrespect, his average has been helped by the fact that nearly a quarter of his innings have been not outs, an advantage that JB, who regularly opens the innings, does not have.”

“That is the beauty of JB, he can and has batted anywhere in the order for Surrey, from opening the innings to coming in at number six and seven. His versatility with the bat is a huge asset to a side.”

Incredibly, although suggesting in recent times that the England selectors would tip in favour of youth, it has been Nixon, at the age of 36, who has been given the nod.

'Batty's versatility with the bat is a huge asset to a side'
“Recent England selections have gone in favour of the younger option and it was for that reason that we assumed that both Mark Ramprakash and Mark Butcher were no longer in the frame. Age should never be a barrier and we wish Nico (Nixon) well but this will be another kick in the teeth to JB.”

Although never really being given any sort of recognition, Batty has, over the past six years, shown his pedigree to be of international calibre.

“JB has, I believe, suffered from the perception that he was and is Alec Stewart’s understudy. He has more than stepped away from that now and he has produced results that have put him with the best of his type in the country.”

“ It should be recognised that he has not only scored runs in all positions and all situations, but he has also kept wicket consistently to the highest standard to one of the world’s best mystery spinners in Saqlain Mushtaq and the best English leg spinner of his generation, Ian Salisbury. What more does he have to do?”

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