born november english cricketer appeared matches england wicket keeper batsman born raised south_africa moved england complete education began playing county cricket somerset years later weeks qualifying england cricket team international debut day international bangladesh considered day specialist international appearances came retired professional cricket june aged eye injury suffered batting played junior cricket western province age lack progression led seek alternative route england studied spotted somerset county lack strong wicket keeper gave opportunity debut team early season qualified play county cricket mother scottish performances soon generated discussion potential play england captain south_africa inviting return play south_africa affirmed desire qualify play england early achieved target strong performances especially match senior england team won place squad face bangladesh selection presence south african born players england team criticised suggesting fewer foreign born players team scored international century match couple months later named man match england won final world promising start england inconsistent dropped end returned team following year place team risk replaced team mate somerset career cut short injury sustained batting somerset july ball penetrated gap helmet struck face damaging vision initially hope recovery named provisional england squad cricket world cup continued experience difficulties vision june announced retirement professional cricket early life career born father wayne scottish mother grew south_africa studying cape_town played cricket junior teams ages disappointed way treated provincial team asked play years club cricket returning decided pursue cricket career england studied year gained levels somerset bowler spotted quickly signed county represented south_africa world cup sri_lanka won man match award game united_states innings balls appearance somerset second team taking wicket keeper midway match injured scored innings match end season scored runs average performances strong somerset chose release start season named alongside wicket keepers early april year day debut somerset deliveries took catch described world class somerset director cricket class debut following month keeping wicket declared scored somerset reply continued perform awarded nbc promising young player somerset seasons scoring regular fifties class day cricket notable innings scored batting number came wickets lost score innings included partnership helped somerset reach eventually win match end season match gloucestershire scored century somerset scoring runs deliveries sharing competition record run partnership passed class runs season time career scored maiden class century early year accumulating unbeaten high scoring draw weeks later repeated feat scoring runs durham help county avoid defeat report described likely south african transition england colours scored class centuries year sussex lancashire averaged class runs year day cricket opened batting alongside averaged scoring unbeaten balls opening group match quarter final scored second day century season somerset defeated wickets knocked competition runs cup helped somerset reach final competition beaten sussex awarded county cap final game county championship international cricketer international selection following strong performances somerset squad spent weeks english winter training south african national cricket captain said wanted return play cricket south_africa directly inviting play south_africa national cricket team careful state challenge franchise system certainly seen like system repeated desire play international cricket england january named squad tour series pakistan england head coach described performances tour good start described warm match england senior team followed tour chance impress match played day qualified england scored runs help lions beat senior team qualified play england basis having british passport scottish mother residency england wait years appearance south_africa february world cup england drawn series pakistan added senior england squad series bangladesh immediately included team playing specialist batsman alongside wicket keeper warm match february scored career best list score balls performances led selection bangladesh february opening innings alongside captain struggled chance missed wicket keeper surviving leg wicket appeal balls later runs innings described tinged nerves match days later dropped thick edge went ball faced caught slip similar thick edge slip delivery match scored international century runs helped england run victory england won series contrast hard hitting batting england cited reasons inclusion century built nervous start england squad announced world named wicket keeper squad replacing prior opened innings tournament identified performances reasons england reached final final england scorer hitting runs deliveries named man match england won global title tournament scored runs fourth player average strike rate dropped recalled england returning england form scored runs australia bangladesh result england played pakistan september omitted preferred included squad opened innings alongside davies playing wicket keeper scores sixteen named squad tour australia selected play instead took england performance programme tour joining regional day competition west_indies competition scored centuries leeward_islands colleges began season strongly somerset scoring runs day matches including centuries century prompted ask regain place england day assumes ahead form earned recall england day squads series sri_lanka saying offer real fire power bat ability gloves match england match scored runs england scorer match runs described england impressive batsman struck half century fourth match series scored england won wickets week later playing somerset scored highest score class career accumulating runs run partnership remained england wicket keeper matches india late season fellow somerset wicket keeper debut albeit specialist batsman yorkshire wicket keeper debut final similar role series struggled moving ball english conditions praised attacking batting including runs balls second match based number appearances england awarded contract england september england subsequent series loss india described tour far england england batsman maintain strike rate scored half century tour included squad toured sri_lanka months later end international career playing lions moved middle order opening batting intended prepare similar switch senior england team allow open scored century half century help england win series early playing pakistan batted twice series praised run contribution fourth match identified wicket keeping polished like dropped order retained place opening batting contrast world england players told attack bat team instructed avoid losing early wickets struggled adapt game score low risk singles rotate strike world lost place england team match new_zealand scored runs fourteen balls final international match career matches scored runs average strike rate despite struggles international cricket successful season somerset scored class runs average including century lions australia following year retained place team tour india suggested england desire protect workload players ahead ashes series winter colleague described england wicket keeper position england key areas requiring resolution citing candidates possibility england test wicket keeper role played series scoring dropped replaced described little unfortunate cited inability adjust game number balls blocked reasons removal played scoring runs average later domestic career competition england day wicket keeping role caused conflict somerset season players wanted role county began season wicket keeper broke thumb match season kept action weeks particularly strong season finishing leading run scorer runs including half centuries scored late season century county championship season somerset struggled scored relatively modest class runs average end season contract somerset expired announced joining lancashire leaving clear choice wicket keeper somerset signed brisbane heat big bash league tournament scored runs matches including half centuries entered auction remained relief director cricket somerset called late replacement injured england squad world selected play began season positively somerset particularly competition scored half centuries innings averaging injury retirement july suffered broken nose fractured cheek bone batting somerset county championship match bowler delivered short pitched went gap helmet struck face injuries initially described somerset chairman non career threatening underwent facial surgery suffered double vision returned somerset end season scored half century match middlesex admitted vision fully recovered signed south african franchise warriors overseas player play season played matches warriors scoring runs average including half centuries december despite having named england man provisional cricket world cup squad revealed suffering vision problems announced play season seek treatment following june announced retirement professional cricket saying capable playing play standard wanted end thought mediocre players county cricket good luck don want finished career similar statistics class list cricket averaged scored centuries cricket highest score averaged interview shortly retirement said interested working media commentary team matches playing style confident attacking batting style compared england batsman south african origin favoured strong square sides stood typical south african stance bat held high generally highly regarded batting wicket keeping drawing criticism quality couple matches spin bowler somerset collecting wickets somerset experimented order trying find effective place began middle order batsman end season remained middle order class cricket regularly found opening batting alongside day cricket role opening matches cup later dropped middle order improve balance international england chose opening batsman selected proven ability pierce field overs particularly drives covers later moved order england accommodate opener
Craig Kieswetter