Matt draws on Prior knowledge

Matt Prior will return as England’s wicketkeeper during the next few weeks of the NatWest Series hoping a more relaxed approach to his cricket can help him reclaim the position in all forms of the game.

The 26-year-old Sussex wicketkeeper-batsman has been recalled after nearly a year on the sidelines and will feature in five one-day internationals against South Africa over the coming weeks.

His recall represents another opportunity to try and establish himself behind the stumps at international level.

Many have tried and failed since Alec Stewart’s retirement in 2003 to perform consistently enough with the gloves and the bat to cement their place in England’s Test and one-day sides with Chris Read, Geraint Jones, James Foster, Phil Mustard and Tim Ambrose among those who have been unable to make the place their own.

Prior could have added his own name to that list having been dropped at the start of this year following 10 Tests where he established himself as an international quality batsman, but struggled to convince with the gloves.

Matt Prior has been working on his skills with Alec Stewart

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But as he prepares to return in Friday’s day-night international at Headingley Carnegie, Prior believes a more relaxed - but just as determined - attitude can reap dividends as he attempts to impress enough to secure the wicketkeeping role for this winter’s tour to India.

“It’s incredible that the keeping position for England has become this big thing,” said Prior.

“The way I try and look at it is that you can’t take it too personally otherwise you put yourself under too much pressure and you can’t perform.

“I learned a huge amount from being involved with England before and I come back a year later as a more mature person and cricketer - I’m really looking forward to doing the job and doing it better.

“I think it makes you stronger. I think an experience like that does change the way you think and your attitude towards a few things and you grow up a bit.

“My family stuck by me throughout and you learn who your friends are in that situation. I’m lucky a few people stuck by me, but I don’t think I changed that much.

“It’s very easy to become quite intense. I guess that’s all about wanting to do well and no matter how it comes out on the field, you’re just trying to do well and put your best performance in.”

Since being dropped by England, Prior has responded exactly as the selectors would have wanted - he averages 58 in the top division of the LV County Championship while he has worked with Stewart on his wicketkeeping skills.

Perhaps the biggest change in Prior’s approach, however, has been to take the emphasis away from his cricket when he is not training or playing - something he struggled to do previously during an England career spanning 10 Tests and 23 one-day internationals.

“I’ve never shied away from hard work and I’ve always worked hard on my game, but things like going back to your hotel and not thinking about anything else but the next day - you have to have your break away from it and your release,” explained Prior.

Prior made a hundred on his Test debut at Lord's last year

“I think coming back a year older and wiser, I will have found a nice balance between the time when you’re on and when you are off and let yourself relax a little bit.”

Prior believes he returns a wiser cricketer after an action-packed summer last year as England’s wicketkeeper, which included a century on his debut at Lord’s against West Indies and becoming embroiled in a sledging war with India later that summer.

In the end, though, it was his failure to perform consistently with the gloves which cost him his place as England opted to replace him with Ambrose, who is now under some pressure himself after failing to score a half-century in four Tests against South Africa.

“It wasn’t the quietest of summers - it was rather up and down,” admitted Prior. “When I was first thrown out into the international scene there was a lot to learn.

“A lot of it was off the field than on it and you don’t know how you are going to deal with that until you are there.

“To have that experience behind me is massive and hopefully I will be able to deal with it better this time around.”

He added: “I feel proud of myself this time around because when you are left out people give you stick and say that is the end and he will never be back.

“To come back and perform for Sussex the way I have I am quite proud of. It shows a bit of mental toughness to and I am pleased with how I have done it, but there is a lot of hard work to come.”

England are hopeful of training at Headingley tomorrow after rain forced the cancellation of their Twenty20 International at Chester-le-Street today and will be joined by Ryan Sidebottom, who passed a fitness test on his injured hip to rejoin the squad.