Read and Habib have credentials to come good (28 June 1999)

28 June 1999

Read and Habib have credentials to come good

David Lloyd

Thirteen selected, including two new faces, and Chris Read and Aftab Habib are both certain to play at Edgbaston.

Chris Read is a product of the system, having come through the various age groups to representative under-19 level and two A tours. He moved to Nottinghamshire from Gloucestershire where he was third in line behind the mercurial Jack Russell and Reggie Williams. It was thought that Williams would leave and Read would stay but that would still mean restricted first XI cricket for the youngster. He made the right move and quickly established himself as No 1 at Trent Bridge.

Wicketkeepers are said to have a streak of madness in them and the evidence to support this is overwhelming. In Read's case, he breaks the mould. He is a quiet achiever, singularly determined with an excellent attitude and he looks like a wicketkeeper, slightly bandy-legged and compact, with arms that appear to be too long. The appearance is right. Can he keep? You bet he can - and he can bat too, judging by the 160 he scored recently against Warwickshire.

Nottinghamshire have given him responsibility up the order by batting him at six in the championship and four in one-day competitions. A lesson for all counties here - push the youngsters hard and give them the chance to play long innings. Read has responded to all that.

Aftab Habib comes into the side from slightly outside the system. He was one of the better players at England Under-15 level and I came across him there when I spent time with them as coach. Like many players, he had a period when he stood still and others overtook him. He was on the Middlesex staff and it took a move to Leicestershire to find himself.

What a terrific judge of a player Jack Birkenshaw is - Habib, Vince Wells, Chris Lewis, Ian Sutcliffe have all blossomed under him with the main ingredient being the team ethic. Habib has style. He has a presence at the crease and a touch of arrogance.

His move to Leicestershire allowed him the opportunity to progress his game. Habib is not like recent youngsters, Ben Hollioake and Andrew Flintoff, who have had a taste of the big time. Both those lads caught the eye with power play and big shots. Habib is elegant in his strokeplay but with a mental strength to play a long innings.

The selectors have chosen well with these two and must stick with them. We did untold damage to the likes of Nasser Hussain and Mark Ramprakash in their formative years by going round in circles, by picking them and leaving them out regularly. Hussain will know this only too well and will be a strong voice in giving Read and Habib the best possible chance to establish themselves in the side.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph