Somerset's Kieswetter given England Performance call

Somerset wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter has taken another step closer to the England team by being added to this winter's National Performance Programme.

As predicted by the Post earlier this year, Somerset CCC's Kieswetter has been included, even though he is not eligible to play for England until next February.

The South Africa-born 21-year-old will train with the Performance Programme squad for eight weeks in Loughborough and South Africa before Christmas.

Kieswetter, whose mother is Scottish and therefore has a UK passport, has been named as a Category B squad member, designed for those with first-class experience who could graduate to the senior side within three years.

The youngster's county team-mate, leg-spinner Max Waller, was named in the original intake of players.

Kieswetter did not flourish with the bat in the recent Champions League.

But, while in India, he had the chance to talk to former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who was playing for Deccan Chargers.

"The best thing he said to me is 'just catch it as a keeper and don't worry about how you look' and that is especially true in England with the ball wobbling," he said. "He told me he works 80 per cent on his keeping because he never wants the media to give any coverage to his keeping being below par.

"For me that was a real eye opener, and, in the past three years, I have done more training on batting than my keeping and it shows.

"At times, I have dropped crucial catches which have cost the team.

"Performances are down to me but, by the time I am 23 or 24, I want to get into that (senior England) set-up. If it happens quicker I would be really chuffed but at the moment I'm focussing on this winter, putting hard work in and being successful next summer."