da brwin： Chris Read believes he is ready to step into Alec Stewart’s shoes as England’s first choice wicketkeeper
Wisden CricInfo staff17-Jul-2003Chris Read believes he is ready to step into Alec Stewart’s shoes as England’s first choice wicketkeeper.Read was in fine form during the recent Natwest Series and as a result, has put himself in the frame for a place in the England squad for the first Test against South Africa at Edgbaston, which is to be named this Friday.Read said: “I now believe I have got what it takes to play both forms of the game. I know my own gameplans so much better than I did four years ago.”Read, 24, has three Test caps, all against New Zealand in 1999, and he now feels that his experience at county level, plus 19 one-day international appearances, have sharpened his game.He said: “When I played for England first time around I was nowhere near the complete cricketer and still don’t think I am, if there is such a thing. But the fact is I am a far better player now, having learnt so much over those years just through the experience of playing first-class cricket and analysing my own game.”However, Read may have to bide his time for a second chance. Stewart, who has no plans of retiring, is England’s second-highest Test run-scorer behind Graham Gooch and is still first-choice behind the stumps.But Read holds no grudges: “Alec has been a terrific servant for England all told and I don’t dwell too much on how he has done in the past, I just try and do my job as it’s required for the team in any given situation.”Certainly, having done a lot of batting with Nottinghamshire and the Academy over the last 12 months I am very keen to make a statement with the bat and contribute runs.”