MattPrior

"Big cheese, faithful lieutenant"

Let's be honest Matt Prior had a stinker of a summer. In seven Test matches against New Zealand and Australia he failed to hit even a solitary half century. His wicket-keeping remained at a decent level, but his batting fell off a cliff. And yet Prior is the current England player of the year. How can this be? Prior has been exceptional for several years now but in 2012/13 he was even better than normal. Playing a major role in beating India in India and then saving the day in Auckland to make sure that England didn't lose a series they were expected to win. Prior is the ultimate team man, keeping his team-mates up in the field and putting an arm round them if necessary off it. It is why he is the vice captain and it is why he is rightly considered the heartbeat of the team. The lack of runs in 2013 shouldn't bother him too much, he already has seven Test tons to prove he is some player. The father of three is a self-confessed cycling badger, taking on the hills and winding roads whenever possible imagining himself to be Sir Bradley Wiggins in the yellow jersey. Nicknamed "Cheese" his love of stylish clothes leads to occasional imitation from teammates, as well as plenty of abuse.