The men behind the stumps

Wicket-keeping is no doubt a tough job, if not the toughest one on the cricket field. Much like the goalkeeper in a football match, it is the wicket-keeper who indirectly controls many of the happenings during a cricket match. In ODIs or T20s, the wicket-keeper’s role may not hold much importance, but in Test matches, the guiding principle used to be that you’ve absolutely got to field the best ‘keeper in the side. The keeper’s work is a huge factor that can determine the course of a match and quite often, his crucial catches and stumpings may just prove to be the difference between two teams.

In recent times though, cricket has started demanding much more from a wicket-keeper. Today, a good wicket-keeper with no remarkable batting skills earns lesser respect (read: money) than an average wicket-keeper who can pile on the runs as a batsman. Yes, the batting factor has emerged as one of the main criteria for the ‘keeper’s spot. The selectors these days look for a batsman who can keep instead of a ‘keeper who can bat! And that is why many teams are keen on fielding part-time ‘keepers who can ‘do the job’, just so that they can have an extra batting option. No, you can’t blame their logic, but doesn’t this fact raise a question in your mind: Is the art of wicket-keeping dying out?

In this regard, one of the names that immediately pops up in your head is that of South African Mark Boucher. Already hailed as one of the greatest ever to have donned the gloves, Boucher has been successful in carrying on the legacy of the likes of Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy. The next best wicket-keeper representing his country is, perhaps, the Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Even so, it cannot be denied that he is far behind Boucher as far as keeping skills are concerned. That, perhaps, tells you the scenario in today’s world where wicket-keeping is gradually getting reduced to a part-time job for cricketers.

When it comes to Indian wicket-keepers, here are my picks from the domestic circuit who will likely step into Dhoni’s boots in the future.

Wriddhiman Saha:

Saha is, undoubtedly, the best Indian player in this department and definitely deserves a place in the national side ahead of Dhoni in terms of pure wicket-keeping skill. But his batting has been an area of concern as he hasn’t been consistent enough with the bat. His lack of batting brilliance is the prime reason for his failure to cement a place in the national squad. That said, his improved show of late including those back-to-back centuries in the Ranji Trophy may well remove the ‘inconsistent’ tag from his back and earn him a place in the Indian team for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Parthiv Patel:

Patel made his national debut at a very young age, but his repeated failure to make a mark kept him out of contention for a long time. Two years ago, he once again received a call from the national selectors, thanks to some consistent performances in the domestic arena. The fact that he can also open the innings worked to his advantage. But this time too he failed to make the most of his opportunity and proved to be a disaster in the India uniform. Still, the selectors often went back to him, primarily because there is a shortage of good ‘keepers in India. However, now that Wriddhiman Saha is breathing down his shoulders, Patel has got to pull up his socks in order to remain in the fray.

Besides the above 2, there are also other possible contenders like Naman Ojha, Sreevats Goswami and Dinesh Kartik, but none of them have shown the promise to play for India consistently.

At the end of the day, the question still remains – Is the art of wicket-keeping dying out? While Dhoni isn’t exactly a mug with the gloves, his selection over someone like Saha suggests that maybe, the art of wicket-keeping is indeed on its last legs.