Sussex coach delighted by Prior's England call-up

WHILE Sussex coach Mark Robinson was in Guernsey yesterday, news broke that one of his players had been selected for the England tour of Pakistan. The man in question was wicketkeeper-batsman Matt Prior who has had a good season with the bat, hitting three centuries and nine fifties in the County Championship and National League competitions.

The Sussex gloveman has been picked as understudy to Geraint Jones ahead of Chris Read, whom Jones had replaced as number one choice last year.

Robinson was in the island to draw players for the Barclays corporate six-a-side competition that takes place on Thursday 29 September.

Two days later on Saturday 1 October, his Sussex Sharks take on Gloucestershire Gladiators in the Lord's Taverners Barclays Twenty20+ competition at KGV.

He drew himself last out of the bag to play for Sark, who will benefit from his nagging seam bowling.

He was ecstatic about the 23-year-old Prior's call-up.

'It's fantastic, his selection has lifted the whole club,' said the Hull-born coach.

'He is an exciting player as he gets hundreds and he empties bars when he opens the batting for us in one-day games. People want to watch him bat.

'He is an in-your-face kind of guy and he is the aggressive type of player that England coach Duncan Fletcher likes.'

The former Sussex and Yorkshire seam bowler has been awarded his testimonial this year and was also pleased with another of his young charges, Mike Yardy, who has been selected for the England Academy squad.

Two other Sussex players could also feature in Pakistan next month are leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, who has had three prolific seasons with the south-coast club, and all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, both of whom could be selected for the home team.

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has mooted in the media that he may play two spinners against England in the tests with 'Mushie' being picked alongside fellow leg spinner Danish Kaneria. Naved-ul-Hasan will probably feature in their one-day squad.

'Rana has taken 48 wickets in nine games,' said Robinson.

'If we got him at the start of the season, we would have walked the championship.

'Mushie has been brilliant for us.

'The season before last he took more than 100 wickets, last year he got 82 and so far this season he has taken 75 with a game to go. He is the leading wicket-taker in the country.'

Robinson had a chance to look at Guernsey's budding cricketers as he took a coaching session of junior players with the GCB development coach, Jason Shambrook, at Beau Sejour yesterday morning.

The Sussex man has been to Guernsey several times before, the most recent being earlier this year when he worked with Guernsey age groups, including the full senior squad.

'Jason does a fantastic job,' said Robinson.

'I'm really impressed with the standard of the players on the island.

'When I come over, I just really enforce what Jason does.'