As the England team put together their final preparations for their opening match of the World Cup, www.surreycricket.com caught up with Surrey’s wicket keeper Jonathan Batty to talk about England’s newest member, fellow wicket keeper, Paul Nixon.

After a disastrous Test Match series in Australia, it seemed as though the England side were due for a winter tour that they would soon rather forget than commit to memory. However the side managed to put together a string of performances in the Commonwealth Bank series that culminated in them defeating Australia in the final to claim the series win.

“With the performance by the side in the last few games in Australia, they seem to have got some momentum and confidence together. Although I hope that it is not false confidence and false bravado.” Batty commented.

Nixon's selection coincided with a run of form for the England One Day team.
A surprise call up and selection for the Commonwealth Bank series, was that of Leicestershire’s Nixon. Early speculation from the media suggested that his inclusion was more to do with his ability to energise the team than his talent.

His positive attitude toward the game and constant talking to the team around him from behind the stumps appeared to give the depleted side a vital lift. This combined with his performance during that series was enough for him to be selected as the number one choice for the World Cup.

“A wicket keeper gives the side a focal point and this is what Nicko achieved in Australia. He gave the side a point at which to focus their energy. He is a lively character who likes to chirp and as we saw in Australia, he managed to wind some of the opposition up, which can be half the battle.”

The warm up matches for the World Cup have shown the wickets in the Caribbean to be quite slow, which means that scoring areas for the batsmen have become limited.

“Generally as a wicket keeper in One Day cricket, you want to get up to the stumps as much as possible. It is something that puts a great deal of pressure on a batsman, particularly when the wickets are slow. I know this is something that Nicko has been working very hard on.”

A wicket keeper must be able to score runs as well.
As well as putting pressure on the batsmen by standing up to the stumps, wicket keeper’s are also often considered to be in the best position to read the game.

“A wicket keeper’s input to both the captain and the bowler is crucial. From behind the stumps, a keeper can see basically everything that is going on on the field as well as the way a batsman might be looking to play.”

The other aspect of a wicket keeping all rounder, is that he must also be able to contribute to the team by scoring runs. Apart from a score of 49, this has not really been the case for Nixon.

“We know Nicko can bat, he does well coming in down the order in county cricket, but it will be very important that he chips in during the World Cup.”

“Ultimately, if we can beat New Zealand, we will be in a very strong position. We should qualify for the latter stages of the competition and from there on, you’re only a couple of good games away from the final.”

Looking past the World Cup and into the English Summer, it will be interesting to see whether Nixon will get the nod for the England Test team as well. It seems as though Geraint Jones and Chris Read have both had their chance, which might leave the position open.

“One good thing about Nixon being picked is that it shows that at 32 years of age, I am not too old to knock at the door.”

“It does seem to be a very open race at the moment but all I can do is present myself by scoring a runs and keeping well at the start of the season and force myself into recognition early on.”

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• Batty overlooked again

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