Richard Blakey would love to see Yorkshire’s Liam Plunkett opening the bowling for England against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Thursday.

Huddersfield’s former Test wicketkeeper – now overseeing cricket matters at Drakes League Elland – believes the 29-year-old from Middlesbrough deserves a chance after a string of excellent performances this summer for the White Rose in the LV= County Championship Division One.

Plunkett hasn’t played at the highest level for seven years, but Blakey is confident he could help put the skids under the tourists, who are full of confidence following their victory in the ODI series.

“From all accounts, Liam kind of fell out of love with the game, but since joining Yorkshire, Jason Gillespie has done a really good job in re-invigorating him,” said Blakey, 47, who won two Test caps for England in India on the 1992-93 tour.

“I saw him at the end of the winter and he was really ‘up’ for the season and looking really fit and healthy.

“He is a fantastic athlete, he has obviously bowled really quickly this season and also he gets valuable runs down the list.

“On top of that he is a brilliant fielder, dashing around the outfield and getting the ball back in with a great arm, so he is a complete cricketer really.

“I think he should get picked for the first Test and I think he’ll do well, because Sri Lanka don’t tend to like it fast and short at this time of year, when there is a little bit in the pitches, and I reckon Liam could pick up some wickets.

“Maybe the selectors are already thinking about the India series later, when it’s a bit drier, but I think it would be a good opportunity for him against Sri Lanka.”

Blakey – deep into organising a Legends v Locals T20 match at Hullen Edge on Thursday, July 10, for which he’s recruited a string of big names – also feels Jonny Bairstow will soon be back in the England reckoning despite the return of Matt Prior from injury to take the gloves.

“I think Jonny would be the first to accept he is a work in progress with the gloves, but he is a very destructive batsman,” said Blakey.

England's Johnny Bairstow practices catching during a nets session
England's Johnny Bairstow practices catching during a nets session

“Things have not quite gone as he would have liked at top level and there has been some criticism of his technique, so all he can do is go back to Yorkshire, score a hatful of runs and keep improving his wicketkeeping.

“His time will come because he is a very, very good player – and competition from Prior and the likes of Jos Buttler is good for everyone.

“Keeping at Test level is a big demand and everything you do is scrutinised to the ‘nth degree’ in the media, so it’s a tough job, but Jonny is a brilliant athlete, he has loads and loads of ability and he’s a quick learner, so I am sure he will knuckle down and do his best to get back in the frame.

“It’s a fact of life now that your keeper has to be an all-rounder and he has to get runs – Adam Gilchrist changed all that and raised the bar so high. Unless you have three or four other all-rounders then you are not going to have a specialist keeper; that’s how it is.”

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