The Rediff Interview / Bob Taylor

Any Test cricketer can put the gloves on like Dravid...

Part I: 'The wicket-keeper is the second main person of the team'

In the second part of his conversation with Ashish Magotra, former England stumper Bob Taylor talks about his all-time best wicket-keeper and Indians performing that role.

Who do you see as the greatest wicket-keeper of all-time?

Well, I think you can judge cricketers at the highest level, which is Test cricket. With Ian Healy's record, he is the best, particularly after having played for Australia with Shane Warne. They have complimented each other. Warne has made Healy (he also has the record number of dismissals in Test cricket) the best wicket-keeper in the world. Likewise, I think Healy has made Warne the best leg-spinner, possibly. I know you can argue the fact that some people think otherwise. Warne is a match-winner all around the world as he proved it in Sharjah, against Pakistan.

If Healy had dropped catches off Warne, he would not have got over 400 Test wickets and likewise, if Warne had not got the knicks, Healy would not have got the catches.

When you think Warne is bowling round the wicket to Test class batsmen, into the rough, the ball is turning and bouncing. For a wicket-keeper, that takes a lot of courage and a lot of skill. And I think Healy had both those qualities. That's why I think Healy has, over the years, been the best wicket-keeper in the world.

They say 'fast bowlers hunt in pairs'. Does it hold true in the case of a bowler/wicket-keeper partnership too? How important is it for the wicket-keeper to be able to read the mind of the bowler?

Yes, it is important. But I just spoke about Warne bowling round the wicket, turning and bouncing the ball. I spoke to Healy, I had a long conversation with him, and he agrees that it takes a lot of courage and skill. When I talk about wicket-keeping I only talk about standing up to the stumps. I think any Test cricketer -- well, batsman not the quick bowlers -- can go and put the gloves on like Dravid, and he can stand back and keep wickets to the fast bowlers, within reason, but still it takes a little bit of skill to dive and catch.

It's when you are up to the stumps for the leg-spinner, the left-arm spinner and the medium pacer, that's what wicket-keeping is all about. So it isn't the bowlers, for me; it's always been the conditions. For an Englishman, coming to the subcontinent -- India, Pakistan -- when I played we were playing against Sunil Gavaskar, G R Vishwanath, Dilip Vengsarkar, Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, world class batsmen looking to score off every ball. Now you could be fielding for a six-hour day, it's hot and sticky. You have got to be mentally as well as physically fit. At the end of the day, you have hardly taken a ball. The wicket-keeper becomes redundant because the only time he has taken the ball is when it is thrown in from the boundary. Now the last over of the day: you could have a spinner bowling, and somebody like Javed Miandad or Sachin Tendulkar, who like to use their feet and get down to the bowler. They like to impose their authority. If they go out of the crease and miss the ball, in the last over of the day, they miss it and you miss the stumping or the knick, then they will make you pay the following day.

That's what wicket-keeping is all about; taking those chances. When the ball is doing something, at Test match level, you should have the ability to counter that. The thing is you are expecting the ball to do something, so it's keeping you on your toes. It's when the ball isn't doing anything, and the batsman are hitting the ball every time, is when it is really difficult. Which is why you have to concentrate.

Among India's current crop (Parthiv Patel, Deep Dasgupta, Ajay Ratra), who do you think is the best or has the most scope to improve?

It's very difficult. I haven't seen young Ratra; I haven't seen enough of them to pass an opinion. Parthiv Patel... he is only 17, he has time on his side.

Over the past two days at the clinic I have been concentrating on the concentration aspect. So I have had all the boys standing up to the wicket, with the batsman playing the ball with a very narrow bat (one-and-a half inch wide) and a thrower from around ten yards. The ball is pitched outside the off stump and the batsman actually plays at the ball. Now because he is playing with such a narrow bat, he will play and miss often, and that's the best match practice that I know.

If you go into the nets with the around 4-5 bowlers (a combination of the quick and slow variety then the wicket-keeper is like a jack in the box. That's quantity rather than quality. With my practice, the wicket-keeper is left to himself; he goes through the motions and takes the ball a lot more.

What about Dasgupta? Everyone says he is not much of a keeper...

I have not seen enough of him to pass an opinion. But I am very impressed with the standard of the wicket-keeping overall. I can judge that they take the ball very well. But the bottom line is how they perform in the middle.

On a completely different tangent... England versus Australia for the Ashes. How do you rate James Foster as a wicket-keeper?

Again, he is like Parthiv Patel. He is an intelligent lad, a university scholar. He wants to do well and play for England. I have been coaching him. Graham Gooch, who is the Essex coach, asked if I would spend some time with James and I have had 2-3 sessions with him. I have watched him in a match since and he looks like he is learning.

Before I actually started coaching, I asked him if he had problems and I knew he would. He told me he was having trouble concentrating. That's what we worked on and the results seem to be showing him. I told him no matter how good a coach you have at the end of the day, the bottom line is you. Because only you can do it. And you have to dedicate yourself to working towards your own cause.

What are England's chances for the Ashes?

It's going to be very hard. I think they are better prepared. The Australians are a good team, particularly in their own conditions. They will be very tough to beat.

If England can get runs on the board, they can put more pressure on the bowlers and make them work harder. If you get bowled out in a five-day Test for a low score then Australia will certainly get stuck in.

Do Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick hold the key?

Yes, I think it is developing into a nice partnership. A left-right hand combination. They both have ability to play long innings even in hot climates, and also good temperament. If they develop, as they are developing now, like a few years ago, Mark Taylor and Geoff Marsh and now Matthew Hayden and Langer again for Aussies, it would serve England well. It makes a difference because the bowler has to alter his line. It make's it more difficult for the bowler.

Does it make it more difficult for the wicket-keeper as well?

I suppose, yes. But not as difficult as it does for the bowler. Because for a wicket-keeper it comes natural.

But during the clinic, a lot of the wicket-keepers came up to me and said they were having trouble taking the ball down the leg-side, standing up to the wicket to the left-handed batsman. There were around 24 wicket-keepers and I asked how many were left-handers. Including Parthiv Patel, there were four. Four out of 24. I said it's the same when you play any cricket match. There are very few left-handers playing cricket. So all these wicket-keepers play and practice against right-handers, so naturally when they play against a left-hander they have a problem. So they need to practice a lot against left-handers.

So, if they keep track of what you are saying India has a good wicket-keeping future?

Yes. There is always good competition. Playing against England, playing against Australia. India are playing very well at the moment in all types of cricket. They have very good team spirit. I think John Wright and his coaching staff is doing a good job. And they are getting the results.

Interviews

Mail Cricket Editor