Alec Stewart has warned that England do not want to still have the wicket keeping crisis when Australia tour for the Ashes in 2009.

Tim Ambrose was selected as England’s wicket keeper for the first Test match against New Zealand, which started yesterday, and as a result, Surrey TV caught up with the former Surrey and England captain, Stewart, to gauge his views on what has developed into a problem for the selectors since he retired in 2003.

Stewart commented: “No one has nailed it down. There are those who have been given the opportunity at the highest level and no one has said ‘I have to be selected for England’ from their domestic performances – Jon Batty is probably the stand out one but for some reason never seems to get a mention.”

“Ambrose has got the opportunity, he is the one with the gloves and he will stay in while he performs.”

Each wicket keeper, who has had his time on the international stage has failed in one of the departments. Both Chris Read and Geraint Jones could not fulfil the criteria of scoring big runs and Matthew Prior made blunders behind the stumps.

“We have mentioned Read, mentioned Jones and we’ve mentioned Prior, we have seen glimpses of what they can do, but they have also made errors and therefore paid the penalty”

“It is vital that England make a decision very soon. I want to win every series, but you don’t want to be going into the Ashes this time next year still saying, who is going to keep wicket and bat seven. England need to make a decision, stick by it and hope that that individual rises to the occasion.”

Stewart is also very shocked about the decision to recall Andrew Strauss. The left-hander from Middlesex was left out of the tour to Sri Lanka at the start of the winter having gone through a dry patch at the top of the order for England.

“I am absolutely amazed. He must have become a better player sat on his sofa in December, whilst the boys were battling it out in Sri Lanka. He was left out of the tour to Sri Lanka for lack of runs for England leading up to then.”

“I am a big Andrew Strauss fan, don’t get me wrong. I believe he is a fine player and he has got a good international record. I just believe that to get back in the side you have to go and perform. He hasn’t performed, so where the selectors have dragged that one from I don’t know.”

To see the whole of Stewart’s interview with Surrey TV, click here.

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