You don’t have to go too far back in time to find highly recognisable wicket-keepers behind the stumps of most of the Test nations. Think Gilchrist and Haddin for Australia, MS Dhoni for India, Sangakkara for Sri Lanka, McCullum for New Zealand, Prior for England and Boucher for South Africa. But in a relatively short space of time there’s been a veritable merry-go-round on the keeping front such that the household names have disappeared and been replaced by relative unknowns. So where have all the wicket-keepers gone and who’s come through to replace them?
The old guard
Gilchrist, Dhoni, Sangakkarra and McCullum have all had the luxury of choosing their moments to retire, albeit the latter two had already largely given up the gloves before their international careers ended. Dhoni continues to play international limited overs cricket, which always appeared to be his preferred format and the one in which he really excels.
Matt Prior and Mark Boucher’s careers were ended by injury. Prior was relatively young at 33 when an achilles injury forced him to finish his career early in 2015 after an unsuccessful attempt to return from injury against India in 2014. Boucher was even more unlucky. Having announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2012 series against England, the South African was standing up to the stumps in a warm-up match against Somerset when he was struck in the eye by a ball from leg-spinner Imran Tahir. With no helmet blocking the path of the ball, the injury was serious enough to end his career on the spot.
Brad Haddin, who replaced Gilchrist as Australia’s keeper when the latter retired back in 2008, was an unfortunate victim of circumstance. Having played in the first Test of the 2015 Ashes series against England, he was forced to miss the second Test to be with his sick daughter.
In came Peter Nevill for the second Test at Lord’s, who opened up his Test career with a breezy 45 and fine performance behind the stumps. The Australian selectors had a big decision to make when Haddin became available again for the third Test and chose to stick with the man in possession of the gloves, rather than return to the experienced keeper. That signalled the end of Haddin’s Test career and he retired at the end of the series.
All of these wicket-keepers had fine Test careers for their country. So just who is coming through now to replace them?
The new brooms
Australia
Peter Nevill has long been regarded as a strong player at State level in Australian domestic cricket. Always tidy behind the stumps, his first taste of Test cricket against England confirmed his ability with the gloves as he put in four neat performances. As ever these days, performances with the bat will also be key. The 30-year-old has a first-class average in excess of 40, so the credentials are certainly there. In ten Tests to date, Nevill is averaging 28, but a couple of decent half-centuries suggest the potential for more to come.
England
The Three Lions are currently in a bit of wicket-keeping muddle. Jos Buttler, already capped by that point in limited overs cricket, came straight into the Test team in 2014 against India when Prior was forced out through injury. Scoring freely at first, it was his glove work that was the focus of criticism for not being up to scratch. Having gone away and worked hard at his keeping, Buttler then had a poor summer with the bat against the Australians in the 2015 Ashes. That poor form continued onto the tour of Pakistan and he was replaced for the final Test by Jonny Bairstow. Despite poor form in the Test arena, Buttler roared back in the ODIs that followed against Pakistan, smashing the fastest ever ODI century by an Englishman to prove that the attacking talent remains there.
Bairstow made his Test debut as a batsman against the South Africans in 2012 but has only been a peripheral figure since then. A fine 2015 domestic season, in which he scored over 1,100 runs at an average of 92, meant that he forced his way back into the Test team, again as a batsman.
Taking over the gloves for the final Test against Pakistan in the Autumn, Bairstow kept his place for the first two Tests of the current South Africa tour. He’s repaying the selectors’ faith so far with the willow, looking by far the most accomplished batsman in the first Test and scoring his maiden century in the second, whacking an unbeaten 150. There’s still room for improvement with the gloves, but the Yorkshireman looks set for an extended run in the Test side.
New Zealand
Born in South Africa but raised in New Zealand from the age of ten, BJ Watling has quietly made the Test keeping spot his own. Decent behind the stumps, it’s his temperament that really stands him in good stead. Coming in at number seven in the batting line-up, Watling has dug his side out of a hole on more than one occasion, including being part of a then sixth-wicket record stand of 352 with Brendan McCullum against India in 2014. Now a relative veteran of 36 Tests with five centuries, ten fifties and an average just shy of 40, Watling is likely to be a fixture for plenty of years to come.
South Africa
If England are in a bit of a muddle with their wicket-keepers, South Africa are in a complete fudge. Since Boucher retired, they haven’t found a regular replacement. AB de Villiers has done the job on a number of occasions, but with worries over his workload the Proteas selectors have tried to find an alternative solution. The last three Tests, however, have seen three different men given the responsibility.
Dane Villas had a poor tour of India, averaging just eight with the bat. De Villiers was reinstated for the first Test against England, much to his displeasure. After making public statements intimating it would be necessary to think again about his position, the selectors acted quickly to recall Quiton de Kock to the team. At the age of 23, you would expect de Kock to make the position his own over time, but that doesn’t mask the fact that South Africa still aren’t currently sure who their first choice keeper is.
India
Nobody could possibly hope to replace MS Dhoni in terms of standing and charisma within Indian cricket. Since he stepped down from the Test team, Wriddhiman Saha has been the man preferred as his successor, although Naman Ohja has also played one Test. With an average only a shade over 20, Saha has yet to nail down his place in the team, and the jury is still out as to whether Dhoni has yet been properly replaced.
Pakistan
Perhaps the most interesting change is in Pakistan where they may just have unearthed a diamond. After years of unsuccessfully alternating between various members of the Akmal family, Sarfraz Ahmed has now made the keeping berth his own. After making his debut in 2010, he had to wait until 2013 to make his second appearance. Since that time, however, Ahmed has impressed with some fine displays behind the stumps and some blistering displays with the bat. In 21 Tests to date, the 28-year-old already has three tons and a further seven fifties under his belt. A current average of 46 suggests there is plenty more to come.
