Veteran England wicketkeeper Alec Stewart, speaking on Channel 4's Cricket Show, has made another impassioned defence against perceived ageism and defiantly claimed he still has no peers to oust him from the Test team.

Stewart, who turned 40 in April, told Clare Connor: "The problem is there isn't anyone, in my opinion although I may be wrong, who can keep wicket and bat at six in Test cricket. Therefore the selectors have to sit down and make sure they get the balance of the side right and to make sure there's enough batting and enough bowling."

The Surrey stalwart is the only player to have appeared in every Test match Channel 4 has covered since May 2000, and is also in the midst of a run of 43 consecutive home Tests.

As England's most-capped player and third highest run-scorer his status within the game is assured but Stewart is clearly still hungry for more.

"It's a love of the game," he explained when asked what keeps him going. "Since I've fallen in love with the game I've had a passion for it, and it's a huge honour for me to play for England. Also, I take a huge pride in my own personal performance and that really drives me on.

"Yes, there's been a lot written and said - "he's 40, we should get the youngsters in" - but there are two things to consider. First of all I personally still believe I'm the best wicketkeeper batsman in the country, and secondly there's no rule that says when you get to 40 you've got to be old and therefore give it away.

"Judge people on the way they're performing and at the same time treat the opposition with the right amount of respect. A lot of people have said it's only Zimbabwe and you can put out any side and beat them.

"To me that's unfair on Zimbabwe and at the same time England haven't won that many series in recent times. So, yes, always have one eye on the future but at the same time have one eye on the present and make sure that you're still doing your best to win," said Stewart.

His inclusion for the 1st npower Test against Zimbabwe was greeted with mixed reaction within the media, a fact underlined by a quick survey of three of the press pack's leading lights.

Former Test players Derek Pringle (Daily Telegraph) and Angus Fraser (Independent) both said it was time now to look ahead, but John Etheridge (Sun) maintained England had an obligation to field their strongest side at Lord's, especially with two debutants (James Anderson and Anthony McGrath) in the side.

Elsewhere on the programme roving reporter Adam Darke got the low down from Warwickshire's rising star Jim Troughton, an elegant left-hander widely tipped to be included in England's one-day squad due to be announced on Thursday.

At present he's probably better known as the grandson of former Dr Who Patrick Troughton, something the 24-year-old is beginning to tire of.

"I get a feeling that with a lot of the people interviewing me for papers or TV that maybe it's a little bit more to do with my family than my cricket," he lamented. "I'm very proud of what my family has achieved, with my granddad as Dr Who, but first and foremost I'm a cricketer."

But while Troughton jnr. is determined to carve his own reputation he believes there is room for comparison between the arts of acting and batsmanship.

"You are both there to entertain the public and they are very similar pressures, but I think cricket is probably a bit more of a pressure cooker than acting," he suggested.

"You know what your lines are, you know what you've got to do and you're going to do that day in and day out, whereas with cricket you're not too sure what's going to happen when you go out to bat."

Troughton averaged more than 50 last year, his first full season, but said while talk of a Test call was flattering he probably wasn't ready for the step up just yet.

"Maybe it would have been too early. It's only my second season and there's still a lot to improve in terms of my overall game. There's still plenty to work on," he said modestly.

24 May, 2003