England’s wicketkeeper-batsman Matt Prior ecstatic after winning 2011 World Cup berth
England’s wicketkeeper-batsman Matt Prior is extremely happy after regaining his spot in the national ODI squad; the Test keeper, who had an outstanding Test series against Australia, played a pivotal role
in the side retaining the coveted Ashes urn.
He was surprisingly chosen ahead of Steve Davies in the team for the World Cup set to start in the subcontinent next month.
Many believe Prior did a great job for his team in the longest format and deserved a chance in the ODI squad. He is set to return to the team for the 2nd
ODI against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 to be played at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart tomorrow.
He spoke to the media at the venue on the eve of the match and claimed that he was not expecting to get the nod for the biggest tournament in limited-overs cricket.
"I wasn't expecting it, to be honest," said Prior. "Obviously I was hoping, you always do when the team is getting selected, and I've always said that whenever England are playing I want to be the man with
the gloves on. I'm absolutely delighted with the selection. It feels like I've come home again.
"I've been in positions before when I've felt I've done okay and then been dropped, but that's international sport. The one thing you do is go back to the drawing board, dust yourself down and come back harder.
I've put a lot of hard work into my one-day game, it hasn't just happened overnight. There are obviously reasons why I'm here and it's now down to me to prove that by performing well."
Prior is regarded as an exciting stroke player who has the ability to turn a match on its head within minutes; he played two crucial innings in the last two Ashes Tests, including a hundred at Sydney. Many
believe that the timing of the knock sealed his fate. However, it is not known yet if he would open the innings with Andrew Strauss or bat down the order.
Prior has struggled in ODI cricket with the bat and has scored a mere two half-centuries, with a top score of 87 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760. Nevertheless, he hopes to bat at the top of the innings where he would
partner his captain Andrew Strauss.
"Andrew Strauss and I will form a pretty good partnership; we get on well and run well between the wickets. I'm a very different player to the guy who opened the batting however many years ago. Getting the
starts wasn't a problem, or getting in against the new ball, I was always seemed to get good starts but I didn't have the experience at the time to then make the match-winning score.
"If you look at Shane Watson in the last game with 161, those are the type of innings all batsmen are trying to get. Forties and fifties don't win games and that's certainly what I'll be trying to do once
I get in and make a start.”
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 would be a real inspiration for Prior; the right-handed Australian batsman/fast medium bowler has been in the form of his life: he scored impressively in the Ashes series for his team before striking
a rapid-fire half-century in the first T20 match played at the Adelaide Oval. He followed up his good work with a brilliant unbeaten ton at the MCG which Prior feels is the kind of innings he wants to dish out for England.
Meanwhile, Steve Davies will certainly be a disappointed man after missing out on the World Cup selection. The left-hander hardly did anything wrong in the series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in the English summer before
scoring 42 in the loss at MCG, yet finds himself axed.
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