Matt Prior's retirement

[sussexpob]

If there is anyone in world cricket that I should respect and idolise more than anyone else, then Matt Prior might be the perfect standout candidate for the role. He is the link between two successful era’s for the relative teams I support, appearing at a time that Sussex would finally awaken from over a century of refusing to win to play an integral part in final Championship successes, and was part of the best and most successful English team in my lifetime. All bets are off, Matt gets the job!

Scratch the surface though, and there is something that will always fell negative about Prior, that will always leave a sour taste in the mouth. In more ways than one, Prior embodies two very conflicting legacies, of success and failure, of being respected and being an annoyance. He is a very tough player to judge, one that will always divide opinion.

At his best, Prior was the model cricketer and sporting professional. Born with modest and unflashy allrounder talents, through sheer will and dedication he was able to squeeze every ounce of ability that he had at his disposal. He was the marquee player of Flower’s England and came to represent the best of his coaches practical ideologies. He was picked on the promise of his supposed characteristics, and honing his craft through the English national team coaching system under the watchful and pedantic gaze of Flower. Flower’s way worked with Prior. It made him a test match player.

At his worst, Prior’s career capitulated just like the ideology that created him. As Flower’s England took a pounding, Prior became a passenger in the team. Catches were dropped, and from a batting perspective Prior waved the white flag, often trying to hit his way out of a prolonged spell of abject form. The hard work, the focus, the determination had gone, replaced by lack of caring, no accountability, low returns.

This attitude is something that, as a Sussex fan, I have been confronted with quite a lot before this period in his career. Prior arrived at Sussex in 2001 and struggled initially, being overtly aggressive and reckless. His keeping could be erratic at best. Yet he matured, he made an effort to find stickability at the crease, to choose his moments to be destructive and his moments to be selective. He put himself on the international radar after his consistent batting.

Yet by 2006 and his elevation to International cricket, he was a misunderstood player. His keeping only meant something on paper, an asterix of artificial creation to make him look more selectable for International cricket when his First Class record with the bat many have put him behind others. He was picked in a ODI team to play a pinch hitter role that he had never excelled at for Sussex. In fact, as a one day player Prior was barely adequate for Sussex, neither a quick scorer or a player of long match winning innings. Somewhere along the line England had seen a player who, albeit aggressive in FC cricket, was not a quick scorer in modern day ODI terms. He unsurprisingly failed.

The next notch on his belt was test cricket. The asterix for keeper was found out soon in Sri Lanka to be what it was worth, virtually nothing. He dropped catches, let byes passed, missed stumpings. He failed as badly as any batsman who was randomly given the gloves could expect to fail. At this stage, he was even considered the third best keeper that Sussex could call on around this time, Ambrose and Hodd arguably rated higher at the time. The grass may always seem greener, and nothing summed up Prior’s capacity to keep more than the 2007 season for Sussex. While Prior was hitting Windies round the park for fun on test debut, Andy Hodd was dropping Mark Ramprakash and Mark Butcher a total combined times of 8 times at the Oval in a single county innings…. They scored 500 between them, and murmurs about Prior’s inadequate keeping never resurfaced again. He was probably better than previously thought having seen the alternative.

While Prior was away from Sussex in 2007, and initially successful, he would find himself back in 2008 after winter tours that went wrong. For a Sussex fan, this was arguably his best moments for the side, spurned of his chances for England Prior amased a clutch of 100’s I quick succession, expertly played in all, batting like his life depended on it. His keeping had improved too. He had spent his down time after England noticeably working hard, fighting for his right to represent his country again.

It would be the last time that Prior would play for Sussex as a “Sussex player”. He would, from 2009, be virtually the sole possession of England. Prior would never have the same romance about him at Hove. In the period of 2008-2014 after his glut of hundreds in the middle of the year, he would play approximately 45 games for Sussex, only scoring 3 x 100’s for the county.

Its hear where the dark side of Prior is seen. His appearances in the side often felt like they matter little to him, that Sussex was merely a place he was forced to play to improve his game for England. He became reckless, and his attitude seemed at times to be horizontal. One memorable game was (IIRC) 2009 away to Worcestershire. He attempted to swat every one of his 20 balls he faced into the river behind the ground, and limped off leaving Sussex in a bad position. It was an innings of unspeakable recklessness, recklessness that seemed to be apparent lack of even caring. After that, it always seemed the same. He turned up, he tried to blast a few balls, he got out. He didn’t need Sussex anymore. In fact, he scored his last hundred in 2014, after his dropping from the England team. When it mattered for England selectors watching, he was a different player.

Once again we are confronted with the two faces of Prior. At the same time as his attitude at Hove was becoming blasé, his dedication towards improvement of his international game deserves some serious respect. Despite lacking the delicate touch of most test batsman, the natural keeping talent of others, he dragged every physical and mental capability he could muster into become a test cricketer. Before the 2013 drop in form, his test average for a number 7 (approx. 45 runs) was unbelievable in the context of the game’s history, and his keeping was arguably the best of all test cricketers at the time of his peak, even if the competition was relatively poor to other eras. His hard work was a beacon, an inspiration to others. No one worked harder to be at where they were at, he was able to become a proper test allround performer from a relatively modest base.

He worked hard to leave the ball, to stop playing attacking shots on the up, to learn to tuck the ball off his legs as a low risk, high reward shot, and to improve his footwork. He was often criticized for playing balls on an off stump line with prods, but in the grand scheme of things, I think this is overstated. At his best he could punish teams quickly, and play solid innings. At his worst, far from his technical off stump problems being the root cause of his issues, it was his shot selection, or poor timing on the attack that got him into problems the most.

Yet Prior still leaves a bad taste. It is entirely believable with his attitude at the low points of his career, or low points at Sussex, that the notion of KP’s “Big Cheese” accusations could have truth in it. Far from a team player at the end of his career, he seemed to be self-absorbed, batting without regards to his team or its aims. In the end, in total, his international career leaves us with a batsman who averaged 39, arguably the least considered to be test class in an era of runs, and several blemishes on his reputation as a keeper, having been totally inadequate at the extremes of his career even to be back up keeper class. His most revered innings, the 110* vs New Zealand, was littered with luck and was hardly played in the guise of saving a test series mode. He hacked, played aggressive, and on any other day would have lost England the series by that approach.

The final conclusion of Prior maybe hangs in the balance of where you see his natural talent level. Was he a player who’s hard work made him better than he could hope, that improved him and paid dividends. Or was he a player who’s lack of application at times in his career prevented him from truly filling his potential, and left him being undervalued?

I think in fairness to Prior, both are true. He became a brilliant player for Sussex, but on achieving his goal, his attitude changed, he stopped working so hard, he never became the player he could have for us in the opportunities he had. When Prior finally hit the crest of test cricket, he stopped working hard, and he fell quickly. It seems that Prior worked as hard as he could to become the level he aspired to, but did little to sustain this when he had reached it. He became merely a good player, he could have been a great player.

And I for one thought that he gave in too early. I don’t believe that his body is no longer capable, he just doesn’t want it anymore. That’s probably what hurts the most, that he could have fought for his career at Sussex and repaid some faith with living out his years playing for us, but instead I believe he didn’t want it and gave up. It is a sad conclusion to his journey at Sussex, that such a good player for such a long time will never, in my eyes anyway, be “one of us”.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Very good, interesting and detailed post. I've posted a lot about Prior on the Prior thread, which was often surprisingly acrimonious, but worth restating a couple of points. His main virtue for me was his batting in (for me) two of the three hardest England batting series of the past ten years. At home to Pakistan in 2010, to pace. And away to Pakistan in 2012 to spin, when he didn't excel, but was the nearest to finding a way to bat against Ajmal and Rehman.

While his keeping cost Swann quite a few wickets (and all keepers miss chances standing up), he went years not missing anything off pace, and I can't remember another England keeper of whom I can say that, including many better ones, which is a testament to his concentration.

[Arthur Crabtree]

It doesn't surprise me when international players don't go back to their counties. They spend all their time on the road away from their families, living in hotels. Many seem to do so in a state of desperation, and probably continue for many years when it stops being pleasant, and then beyond into periods when it is an endless hell. I imagine many retire believing they just can't face the grind anymore.

[sussexpob]

Very good, interesting and detailed post. I've posted a lot about Prior on the Prior thread, which was often surprisingly acrimonious, but worth restating a couple of points. His main virtue for me was his batting in (for me) two of the three hardest England batting series of the past ten years. At home to Pakistan in 2010, to pace. And away to Pakistan in 2012 to spin, when he didn't excel, but was the nearest to finding a way to bat against Ajmal and Rehman.

While his keeping cost Swann quite a few wickets (and all keepers miss chances standing up), he went years not missing anything off pace, and I can't remember another England keeper of whom I can say that, including many better ones, which is a testament to his concentration.

Seems strange because from an early point in his career he was keeping to Mushie a lot on pitches that were designed to be bunsens!! He should have been excellent standing up

[Arthur Crabtree]

I thought he played as a batter for Sussex even when keeping with England A. With Ambrose keeping.

[sussexpob]

I thought he played as a batter for Sussex even when keeping with England A. With Ambrose keeping.

Prior came into the team at the same time as Ambrose, but the Sussex management didnt have much faith in Ambrose as anything other than a specialist keeper who couldnt bat at all, so Prior got the gloves for the first couple of years. At the mid-end of 2002, Ambrose got an opportunity to fill in for injuries to Cottey and Chris Adams, and Michael Yardy was terrible at first and got dropped. It was a punt, but as soon as Ambrose convinced as a batter in 2002, he got the job as wicket keeper for 2003, and both he and Prior did a job in the championship year scoring runs.

It was after the 2003 Championship year that Prior got a call up to the A team, but I think that was one of Duncan Fletcher's typical picks. A batsman showing some promise, dressed up as a wicket keeper. He hadnt kept that year at all.

In 2004, Ambrose completely forgot how to bat and with a few younger lads coming into the set up (Luke Wright/Yardy started to play well) they decided they had to give another batsman a chance, so Prior got the gloves back half way through the season. He didnt play well behind the stumps at all, so Ambrose kept on being repicked, but kept on seemingly getting worse with the bat, so they had a tug of war going. By the end of 2005, Ambrose had been consistently poor enough for Sussex to release him, but they did make sure they went and re-signed Andy Hodd to play on the basis that they didnt trust Prior that much.

2006 was a turning point for Prior though, because he actually kept pretty well in 2006 to Mushie in particular, and I think that is why the watching English management desperate for a keeper batsman capped him that year. Mushie basically bowed 50% of our overs, and Prior for the first time actually looked relatively competent. Not a test match keeper, but actually looking semi-like a keeper. You wouldnt hear many people at Sussex saying he should be in the test team mind, I remember posting on 606 that Prior should be considered as a batsman only, and getting absolutely shelled by everyone on the board, despite probably being the only person who had actually seem him play.
Apart from 2003 though, Prior was always really number one the majority of times

[sussexpob]

Id probably say that he had a turning point around 2008 where you thought he could make it in tests playing as a keeper. 2008 was a good year, he came into that season a different man behind the stumps at Sussex, he looked like he had put a lot of effort in, and he knuckled down with the bat also.

Maybe his defining moment for England was Cardiff 2009, where he took England's faultering innings and played an aggressive lone hand 50 to bring England to something approaching a score.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Maybe working with Alec Stewart helped him become good enough as a keeper. Rather than the input he got with his county.

[sussexpob]

Maybe working with Alec Stewart helped him become good enough as a keeper. Rather than the input he got with his county.

Did he work with Alec Stewart at a point ?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yes. Alec Stewart was his manager. When Prior got dropped by England, Alec worked with Prior on his keeping. MP returned a much better keeper.

[sussexpob]

Yes. Alec Stewart was his manager. When Prior got dropped by England, Alec worked with Prior on his keeping. MP returned a much better keeper.

Would make sense. I wasnt aware that he ever worked with Stewart, I was under the misguided opinion that he was actually one player that Flower had credit for

[Arthur Crabtree]

Prior feels like player who could be replaced effectively. It's too early to say how good Buttler is (how will he do in Asia) but his prospects look good.

Unexpectedly, Root looks a good fit for KP.

Strauss and Colly were tough to replace, but that feels more down to Flower and the selectors than lack of options.

Just Swann that you feel will be missed for long. Bell and Cook have been in decline, so replacing them now won't be like doing it four years ago.

[sussexpob]

Prior feels like player who could be replaced effectively. It's too early to say how good Buttler is (how will he do in Asia) but his prospects look good.

From a positive perspective Prior's legacy for any emerging keeper will be an example; you can be essentially terrible, but put the work in, you can make it. I like Buttler, he looks decent

[Arthur Crabtree]

Alec Stewart set that template. Though I think he became better than Prior was. Unfortunately for Alec, every drop was measured against a mythical specialist keeper who never makes a mistake. Prior was tolerated more as it became accepted that the days of the keeper/artist were over.

[sussexpob]

Alec Stewart set that template. Though I think he became better than Prior was. Unfortunately for Alec, every drop was measured against a mythical specialist keeper who never makes a mistake. Prior was tolerated more as it became accepted that the days of the keeper/artist were over.

Well indeed. Even an average keeper like Jack Russel was thrown in his face every time he made a mistake. I thought Stewart was a very good keeper compared to his contemporaries.