Iron fist in a silk glove

Wicketkeepers are a persecuted breed. Like umpires, they tend only to be noticed when they err, and increasingly both are judged on criteria that should be beyond their remit - that microscopically thin inside-edge, for instance, or in Chris Read's case, a perceived fallibility in front of, not behind, the stumps.

Read is arguably the most silky gloveman in the world today, certainly England's best since Jack Russell's heyday in the mid-1990s. And yet, England's desire to ape all things Australian led, in April 2004, to the most ruthless decision of Duncan Fletcher's hard-bitten tenure as coach. His loyalty to his players is legendary, but when Read failed to reach 40 in eight consecutive Tests, Fletcher decided that he simply didn't make the grade.

It's hardly a modern phenomenon. In March 1877, Australia's fearsome fast bowler, Fred Spofforth, flounced out of the inaugural Test match because the selectors had refused to pair him with his favourite gloveman, Billy Murdoch. And in the days before Read and Geraint Jones were tussling for the role, Russell himself fought (and ultimately lost) a career-long battle with the more functional Alec Stewart.

Part of the trouble is that mud sticks. Read was picked for international duty at the age of 20 in 1999, before he was truly ready, and to this day he is still remembered for one excruciatingly embarrassing dismissal. Against New Zealand at Lord's, he completely misread Chris Cairns's slower ball and was bowled while ducking out of the way of what turned out to be a yorker.

Greater batsmen than Read have been suckered by the slower ball - not least Graham Thorpe a year later at Old Trafford - but it does a rookie no favours to be transformed into a figure of fun. That was Read's fate as he was eased out of the one-day side soon afterwards as well, his only memorable moment being a mighty swatted six off Shaun Pollock to reignite a floundering run-chase at Newlands the following winter.

For such an unassuming fellow, Read has the ability to fuel a spectacular amount of debate. His controversial axing was believed to be at the root of Fletcher's testy relationship with the former academy coach, Rod Marsh - himself a wicketkeeping purist. And earlier this season, Read got involved in a heated pitch-side argument with Sussex's Mushtaq Ahmed, whom he accused of gamesmanship after being dismissed for a duck in the County Championship.

On that occasion, Read's outburst stemmed from his intense frustration. It was his second duck of the week, having already missed out for England A against the Sri Lankans, and for all the effort he had put into his batting, the scorebook seemed to be conspiring against him. But at Canterbury this week, with the selectors hovering around with great interest, he advanced his cause further in a single innings than it has come in several seasons. Jones remains England's chosen gloveman, but Read has taken his licks and learnt his lessons, and is better prepared than ever for a return to the big-time.

What he says
"I'm not trying to make any sort of statement, I'm just trying to play good cricket. A criticism in the past was that I got out too often in the 60s and 70s, but this year my conversion-rate when I've got in has been pretty good. The only reason I was axed was a lack of runs, and in the last two years I've done a lot of work to get my batting up to scratch." Speaking at Canterbury after his century against the Pakistanis, Read is philosophical about England experiences.

What they say
"Chris has done really well, but we have selected Geraint Jones because we believe he is the best wicketkeeper. What he brings to the team is what we want at the present time. Geraint Jones is our man, and we will give him our full support." Well that's that then. England's chairman of selectors, David Graveney, brooks no equivocation.

What you might not know
For all the talk of Jones's superior batting, Read's first-class record stands very much up to scrutiny. In 167 matches, Read has scored 6632 runs at an average of 31.43, with nine hundreds and 36 fifties. Jones, in a shorter career, has 2757 runs from 67 matches, and his average (32.82) is not significantly greater. In addition, he has just four hundreds to his name - although one of these came in just his third Test. And there, one supposes, is the rub.

What the future holds
He's getting used to biding his time, but whether his time comes again depends entirely on Jones' form and fitness in the coming months. As one of England's few remaining Ashes winners, Jones is unlikely to be axed ahead of the rematch Down Under but another unconvincing winter, and it could be time to ring the changes come the spring of 2007. At the age of 27, he is entering his prime. And unlike many of his competitors for the role, he has a career's worth of experience already under his belt.