Hand in Glove

"The wicket-keeper has got to be in the batsman's ear now and again - that's
what all great wicket-keepers do."

(Duncan Fletcher)

Actually, what all the great ones do is hold catches, keep byes to a premium and generally inspire the rest of the fielding side with their performance behind the stumps.

You could argue that if you're busy questioning a batsman's parentage, or picking holes in his technique or lifestyle, then you aren't properly concentrating on the job in hand.

That's not to suggest that keepers should suddenly come over all Trappist, but surely there's a balance to be found - and a selection criteria where gobbiness counts for as much as glovework and batting ability is plain wrong.