Matt Mason believes Worcestershire wicket-keeper Ben Cox is “by far the best gloveman in the country”
The County’s Assistant Coach says Cox can “put his name in there” for England selection if he puts even more big scores on the scoreboard with the bat.
Cox was named in the PCA Team Of The Year for 2017 after another excellent season.
He scored a career best 124 against Gloucestershire, averaged 33 in the County Championship, and was second only to Chris Read in terms of Division Two victims.
The 25-year-old has been firmly established as Worcestershire’s number one behind the stumps for several seasons after the challenges presented by Ben Scott (2010-2012) and Michael Johnson (2013).
Mason said: “I think Bumpy (Steve Rhodes) has made Coxy’s life more challenging than most of the players because of those guys (Scott and Johnson) that have come in and I think that has made Coxy the cricketer he is.
“He is a lot tougher than he was all those years ago, he has become a fantastic leader and I think he is by far the best gloveman in the country.
“He is unbelievable. We can get him to do anything, stand up to any bowler, he can change the course of the game with a brilliant piece of keeping, a brilliant run-out, a stumping, and he is quite mercurial as a batsman in the white ball form.
“He can play all around the park. He is a Jos Buttler type in my opinion. He can hit unorthodox areas and he is more consistent in red ball.
“For me he has become one of the senior figures in the dressing room and a model pro. He is fitter than anyone else and a great year for him.”
Mason added: “Is he unlucky there are so many top keepers in terms of earning international honours? You can only have one and in another era he probably would be in the (England) squad.
“He needs to just keep focusing and not worry about that. He is still pretty young. If he keeps performing…..I think runs will be the key.
“His keeping is not under any doubt at all…..it is getting those big scores and more of those big hundreds.
“I think if he does that, he well and truly puts his name in there.”
