Two keepers, one lack of consistency

In parenting manuals, they tell you that it doesn't matter as much as you think where you draw the line, whether it's over sweets, or treats, or sessions on the Xbox 360. What matters is that you keep drawing the line in the same place. You can be strict or lenient, but you must be consistent.

As in childcare, so in selection. And Duncan Fletcher, England's father figure, has done well on this front, at least in Tests. But now he has announced that England are to change wicketkeepers for the second time in five months. Geraint Jones is in and Chris Read is out. Whether Jones or Read is the better choice is arguable - Jones has it in him to get more runs, Read will hold more catches, Jones will do more cajoling of his fielders, Read will set a higher standard for them.

Jones has an Ashes win and some runs against Shane Warne on his CV. His supporters tend to ask who is more likely to make an Ashes-winning 80, as Jones did at Trent Bridge in 2005. Read's fans can retort by asking who is more likely to make an Ashes-losing hash of a simple chance. The two keepers are more of a muchness than they were last time round, as Jones's keeping has improved and his batting has deteriorated, while Read has come on with the bat and slipped back a little with the gloves.

The significance of the decision lies not in the merits of the two men, but in its inconsistency. Read has been dropped after two Tests, which is the sort of thing that used to happen in the bad old days before Fletcher took over as coach. In fact it's worse, because Read did well in both those Tests, making 38, 55 and 33, keeping beautifully apart from leaving a couple of chances to his first slip, and, just like when he last appeared in 2004, being a central component in a winning side. He did what was asked of him. Jones, meanwhile, went back to Kent and did hardly anything. For a gifted timer of the ball, he has strangely little form and experience to fall back on. A late developer, he has only ever made 15 first-class fifties outside Tests, whereas Read, two years younger, has 45.

Fletcher has ended up breaking two of the unwritten rules of selection: you have to play badly to be dropped (unless someone more senior is returning from injury), and, if dropped for playing badly, you have to go away and play better. Read did play poorly in the Champions Trophy in India, but if the England set-up held failures in one-day cricket against their Test players, they wouldn't be able to field a full team. Harmison and Hoggard would be out for a start.

For the second time, Read has been treated harshly by Fletcher, while Jones has been treated like teacher's pet. One man was given 31 consecutive Tests to prove himself; the other has had 13, in three separate stints, spread over seven years.

This inconsistency may derive from another one. Read was brought back while Andrew Strauss was captain, but now Strauss, like Read, has been replaced without doing anything wrong. Andrew Flintoff has long since bonded with Jones. They have dismissed 28 batsmen together, and they have constructed some excellent sixth-wicket partnerships, built on their contrasts - little and large, rapier and bludgeon - whereas Flintoff hasn't played a Test with Read for two and a half years.

For fans of the skilled artisan, there was a crumb of comfort when Fletcher said that he wanted Jones there at number seven because of "the tail we may have". Which suggests that he isn't necessarily set on recalling Ashley Giles at the expense of the more attacking Monty Panesar. The two decisions may even have been linked. Flintoff may have said he wanted Panesar, as he is believed to have done in India last winter, and Fletcher may have agreed on condition that Jones came back.

Worrying about runs at number seven is a low-status thing to do. England should be saying: We are the holders of the Ashes. We have just thumped Pakistan, who are a good side. Our side is hard to get into. Geraint, you haven't done enough yet. Ashley, you're going to have to bowl out some great batsmen, just like Monty has. Even you, Marcus, need to fight your way back.

Having Jones back in the side may pay off. But he will have to make a lot of runs, and hold some vital catches, to make up for the cost in terms of consistency. The parenting gurus would not approve.