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ADELAIDE - England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones denies his regaining the gloves ahead of rival Chris Read has unsettled the tourists in the lead-up to the first Ashes cricket test against Australia starting on Thursday.
Former England captain Michael Atherton has claimed Jones' reinstatement at the expense of Read was poorly handled by coach Duncan Fletcher, a long-time fan of Jones.
Atherton said the move left little doubt the team would have no confidence in Read if Jones were to be injured.
"You have to question the so-called spirit of togetherness of the squad, the unbreakable bond that Ashley Giles spoke so eloquently about ... which he insisted was the key to victory in Australia," Atherton wrote in London's Daily Telegraph newspaper.
"I wonder, as Read pondered the coach's and by implication the captain's comments, how much a part of Team England he felt.
"There is every chance that Jones will break a finger dropping a catch this week and Read will walk out in Brisbane knowing that his coach and captain think precious little of his batting ability or his ability to handle the pressure."
After contributing at key times with the bat during the 2005 Ashes series, Jones was dropped during the northern summer following a lean run with the bat.
While admitting surprise at how quickly it was made known that it was he and not Read who would keep wicket in Brisbane, Jones said there were no simmering tensions between them.
"I was a little bit surprised, to be honest," he said yesterday.
"Chris had the gloves at the end of the summer, I thought the first two weeks would be crucial and I was hoping I could push my point strongly enough that I'd be included.
"The early timing of finding out was a good one for me, it gave me a chance to get my head around it."
On the subject of their relationship, Jones was clear.
"It was difficult for him when he found out I was playing, and I felt for him in that regard but, other than that, we still work out in the gym together, we're basically friends," he said.
"There's nothing personal between us, we know that, and when he was included last summer I sent him a text to say good luck and go well, there's nothing between us, it's a selection thing."
Although he has made runs, Jones has not caught well since donning the gloves for England's tour opener in Canberra, where he turfed a straightforward chance off Phil Jaques, who went on to make a century.
Another chance, this time a stumping, was missed against South Australia, but Jones felt confident he would be right for the first test, which will be a return to the home of his youth.
- AAP
