Jones under the pump

Pressure is mounting on English wicketkeeper Geraint Jones to retain his place in the English XI, as the much anticipated Boxing Day Test approaches.

The calls for his head have gone from whispers to violent shouts; calling for him to axed, replaced in the side with back-up keeper Chris Read.

Jones, who to much surprise was reinstated for the Ashes, has not been able to perform with the bat, averaging a mere 10.5 in his past six innings.

Jones was selected in the first three Ashes Tests, even though his glovework is widely seen to be of a lower standard than that of Read’s. The reasoning behind his selection had been that Jones was seen as the the better batsman who would strengthen the English line-up with useful middle order contributions.

Runs have not come however, scoring zero, zero, ten and one, in his last four innings.

The last duck coming in bizarre circumstances at Perth, when an attentive Ricky Ponting ran out Jones, who was carelessly standing outside his crease at the time.

England coach Duncan Fletcher admitted the wicketkeeper quandary would have to be addressed immediately as his side seek to avert a series whitewash.

“People have some problem areas, there’s no doubt about it,” he said.

“You look at Jones, he hasn’t got the runs that we like and that is the one that showed how we folded yesterday,” he said referring to the second innings of the Perth Test.

“That is what we talk about, batting in depth. It’s very, very important.”