England Cricket Team: Meet Craig Kieswetter

England Cricket / Paul Moon / 23 February 2010 /

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Craig Kieswetter may not play as much cricket for Somerset as last season if he's called up for England

"Kieswetter has fully credited Somerset team-mate Marcus Trescothick for his help and support, especially in backing one’s own ability, thus taking the attack to the bowler and therefore putting the pressure back on them."

Paul Moon was extremely impressed with the recent 66-ball knock of 81 by Somerset wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter which has subsequently earned him a call-up for the tour of Bangladesh. So who better to ask about this up and coming player than his county skipper Marcus Trecothick....

Following some impressive playing performances with the England Lions, the Somerset wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter (aged 22) has been added to the England one-day squad for the tour of Bangladesh. What a terrific selection this is! Johannesburg-born, he has just completed a four-year qualifying period enabling him to play for his adopted country.

National selector Geoff Miller had previously insisted he would be cautious amid the rising number of overseas-born players pressing for places but of course these sentiments and promises go out of the window when a player of this quality becomes available! He joins fellow 'Boks' Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior in the side. Miller added that Kieswetter had impressed both EPP (England Performance Programme) and national coaches with his attitude, glovework and hard-hitting batting during his time with the EPP.

Clearly he has been fast tracked into the national set-up. After being qualified to play for England by a single day, he thrashed his future team-mates with a nerveless knock of 81 in 66-balls including nine fours and two sixes. Paul Collingwood admitted to have been taken back by his brutish hitting power. These actions scuppered a late bid by South African captain Graeme Smith, who had hoped he would play for the Proteas. This may not be an issue in the immediate future but with no other obvious successor to Mark Boucher than AB De Villiers, who is also the side's best fielder, it may yet prove to be.

Kieswetter appears to have most boxes ticked. His confidence is underpinned by a sound temperament. Standing firm at the crease and with a solid base, he hits the ball very hard. He has that unique ability of scoring runs off good length balls and hitting through the line, something that is vital in international cricket. These attributes are backed up with guile and an ability to think outside the box. Better still, unlike many English cricketing youngsters, he has an inherent will to win!

Kieswetter has fully credited Somerset team-mate Marcus Trescothick for his help and support, especially in backing one's own ability, thus taking the attack to the bowler and therefore putting the pressure back on them. I called Tresco, who I know personally, for his views on the young keeper and this is what he had to say....

Keiswetter is the real deal and can go all the way to the top. He is more likely to reach his full potential in ODI cricket but could yet develop into a Test player.

As regards just what type of keeper he is, his view is that he is neither a keeper-batsman nor a batsman-keeper but rather a genuine all- rounder. When the occasion warrants it, he is able to give some chat as all the best keepers do but when it comes to just getting on with the job in hand, he can buckle down and just get on with it .

Regarding Kieswetter's strengths and weaknesses, Trescothick highlighted his strong mentality and positive attitude. He talked enthusiastically about his fast hands and his ability to play pace and spin bowling with equal aplomb. His desire to train hard and keep fit was commended. If there is a weakness, it would be not dealing with a bad run or poor form the way the more experienced batsmen do, but then he reminded us that applies to most young cricketers.

A consequence of Kieswetter's promotion to international level will have a negative impact on Somerset and their team selection but new skipper Trescothick is determined to win titles and wants to start now! He was in a buoyant mood when asked about his aspirations for this year and had genuine aspirations to win at least one title.

Betfair's latest prices on Division 1: Durham [2.98] Hampshire [6.6] Nottinghamshire [7.2] Kent [8.2] Lancashire [9] Somerset [10] Warwick [13.0] Essex [18.0] Yorkshire [20.0]. Though the Betfair markets are not fully fledged at the moment, Somerset are available at [7.0] for the ECB 40 League winners and [6.0] for the Friends Provident Twenty20.

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