Cricket World Cup 2011: Matt Prior out to make one-day job his own

Cricket World Cup 2011: Matt Prior out to make one-day job his own

Matt Prior in the nets at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on his return to the England squad as wicketkeeper. Photograph: Gareth Copley/PA

Test wicketkeeper's return to the England camp gives the World Cup squad a high-energy presence at the top of the order

There is a vitality about Matt Prior that suggests Duracell has dumped its bunny and is using him to advertise its long-life batteries. He was reinstalled in the England changing room yesterday and energy levels that might have dipped in Tasmania's quiet beauty moved upwards.

The man who could have put his boots up after a gruelling and personally satisfying Ashes series opted, instead, to play for Victoria's Bushrangers in the Twenty20 Big Bash.

Now he is back, in place of the dropped Steven Davies, to play in England's remaining six ODIs against Australia and, beyond that, the World Cup, which will begin in February and drag its feet into April, like a house guest who will not go away.

This is Prior's fourth incarnation as England's one-day wicketkeeper-batsman and this time, like his mentor Alec Stewart, he intends to take out a long lease on the role. "I am delighted to be here," he said. "I said from the minute I was dropped that I wanted to get back, that I would go back to Sussex and work on my game, hopefully improve my game, and come back a better player. Thankfully I have that opportunity to show where I have improved and hopefully I can make that place my own."

There was a time when a wicketkeeper knew his place. And it wasn't only behind the stumps. He was the dogs body of the team who did most of the fielding and hardly got a bat at the end. Now, it seems, every wicketkeeper is the exception.

He is expected not only to bat, but to bat well and often aggressively. He must also be the side's cheerleader and primary energy source.

The England coach, Andy Flower, made it clear this week that Prior was being brought back not only because he would be a physically stronger batsman on the flat tracks of the subcontinent but also because "he suits the high-energy fielding game that the team have developed over the last couple of years".

Prior, who last played one-day cricket for England almost a year ago, said: "Hopefully the batting will look after itself. But from a fielding point of view, certainly from the Test matches, I have taken it on myself to almost manage the fielding unit, and I know it's my role to manage the intensity and energy levels.

"Fielding is something this squad takes a lot of pride in and the standards we set ourselves are something we take a lot of pride in as well.

"I think the keeper's role in this day and age is to make sure you manage and make sure you are the person that makes sure those standards stay where they need to be. It's a role in the Test matches I enjoy and it's what I will continue doing in one-day cricket."

Most of all, though, this England one-day side needs a high energy level at the top of the order. Prior was once considered too orthodox a batsman to meet the innovatory demands of the shorter game. But there is no doubting his clean striking ability. "I don't think I have to change my game hugely from how I play in Test cricket. Obviously there will be times when I need to take more risks."

He has fond memories of his brief adventure with Victoria's Bushrangers. "I was quite nervous as the overseas player, especially an Englishman going into the opposition dressing room. But they couldn't do enough for me.

"It was awesome to work with a different coach as well, with different ideas on the game, and different senior players. I sat down and had a couple of beers with Peter Siddle, so that was great. He has ended up being a really good bloke as well, so that was good.

"It was an eye-opener going into a different dressing room, certainly an Australian dressing room, and seeing their attitudes on cricket and different situations. That's why I was so keen to get involved. I want to keep learning, I want to keep getting better and that's one of the ways of doing it."

The despondent Davies, meanwhile, is plotting his own return to the side. "Naturally I'm very disappointed to miss out on selection for the World Cup, and it's been a tough couple of days, but all I can do is accept the decision the selectors have made and continue to work hard to get back into the England side.

"I'm aware that there are areas of my game I need to work on and intend to spend the next few months doing just that and prove to the selectors that I have the ability to perform at the highest level in international cricket." If Prior has his way, the Surrey keeper is in for a long wait.