Prior is England's first-choice wicketkeeper for the Ashes.
  • Prior is England's first-choice wicketkeeper for the Ashes.
  • His first chance with England came in one-day cricket as an opener.
  • Prior's Test debut came against the West Indies at Lords in 2007
  • Prior's glovework has improved since his recall.
  • Prior loves to go on the attack, favouring square of the wicket.

The Sussex star is widely regarded as the best wicket-keeper batsman in the world. That is some praise when you have the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and MS Dhoni as competition.

England would not swap him for anyone. Another spiky son of South Africa, Prior took time to adjust to Test cricket.

He got his first chance against the West Indies at Lord's in 2007 and scored a superb unbeaten 126 in his first innings.

But he flopped badly against India and Sri Lanka. The harder he tried, the worse he got with bat and iron glove and he was dropped, Tim Ambrose taking over.

But Ambrose too began to struggle, Prior came back and that was that - he has been a fixture since. His wicket-keeping, once an obvious weakness, is now a genuine strength. Few are as good in county cricket.

In his 67 Tests, Prior averages a very healthy 44.33, which given he is often batting with the tail is hugely impressive. He has contributed seven hundreds and 26 half-centuries to the England cause - often when his team really needs them. He loves a crisis.

He scored solidly against Australia in his first Ashes series in 2009 and again Down Under in 2011, scoring a century in Sydney.

As a batsman, Prior is naturally aggressive, and it is often the way he scores his runs rather than the number of them that is so important.

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