By Oliver Brett

Mustard has been compared to Adam Gilchrist by two Test players

When Shane Warne describes an opponent as "a class act, the best wicket-keeper/batsman in England", it makes sense to check out the person he's talking about.

England's selectors have done more than that. Reacting to Matt Prior's untimely broken thumb, they have picked the man Warne was talking about.

Phil Mustard is 24, Sunderland-born and a Durham cricketer since 2002 - when he hit 75 off 77 balls in an innings against the Sri Lankan tourists in his debut season.

He has never been to Sri Lanka, but will be the England wicket-keeper for the first of five one-day internationals in Dambulla next Monday.

In fact, he tells BBC Sport his only experience of cricket in the subcontinent has been "batting against some young spinners in Mumbai" in November 2005.

if people want to call me the next Adam Gilchrist then that's fine. But me, personally, I just go out there and do my own thing Phil Mustard

Mustard, a left-handed opener both Warne and England captain Paul Collingwood compare to Adam Gilchrist, hit 409 runs in the domestic Pro40 League at 58.42 and 435 runs at 43.50 in the Friends Provident Trophy one-day competition.

The FP Trophy scores helped his team to their first Lord's final, where Warne's Hampshire lay in wait.

Unfazed by opening the batting in potentially tricky early morning conditions, he hit an eye-catching 49 off just 38 balls.

And he is quietly confident similar exploits might be within his grasp in Sri Lanka.

"Conditions out there will be very different to any English pitch in the country," he says.

"I spoke to a few people like Shiv Chanderpaul and Michael Di Venuto [Durham overseas pros] who have been out there.

"And they said it's just a bit flatter and a little bit lower and slower than in England. so hopefully it's not too bad."

What about those Gilchrist comparisons?

606: DEBATE Regardless of how well Mustard does in Sri Lanka I think Prior should get the gloves back for Test matches Durhamfootman

Warne's exact words were: "He has the same high grip, hits the ball from backward point to widish mid-off, plays the short ball pretty well and has that effective shot to cow corner."

Mustard says: "I enjoy watching Adam Gilchrist, he's a very fine player, wicket-keeper and batsman. Shane Warne said that stuff just after the final and just before the final.

"I've got my own style and if people want to call me the next Adam Gilchrist then that's fine. But me, personally, I just go out there and do my own thing.

"It's gone very well this year. I've got Durham off to a fine start this year, and not only have we won the Friends Provident Trophy, we also picked up the trophy for coming top of Division Two in the Pro40."

The event that saw his stock soar, though, was clearly his performance in the big final at Lord's.

"It's always good to do it when it's a big game," he acknowledges. "And it was so important that Durham got to the final and I had a chance to show my game on the big stage. It's always good to do well on TV.

"I felt really calm. I spoke to a few of the guys, all the experienced people, they just told me to out there and enjoy it and treat it like another game of cricket.

Playing against Owais Shah, now an England team-mate

"Once you go out there, you hear the crowd and think 'let's go out there and enjoy it and put on a good show for the crowd'.

"When you are a young kid growing up you want to play international cricket, that's every kid's dream. You've just got to do what you can and if you are good enough you'll get picked."

Fellow 'Mackem' Collingwood will be the perfect captain for Mustard out in Sri Lanka.

"Colly's always been good to me, ever since I went to Melbourne four or five years ago [the pair were playing grade cricket in Australia] and just before he got into the Test side.

"He knows how I think about things."

The other familiar face in the England camp will be Ottis Gibson, the West Indies veteran and Durham seam bowler par excellence.

At 38, Gibson won virtually every county award going after a remarkable season and is England's latest bowling consultant.

"We had a good giggle in the dressing room when we heard Ottis had that job," says Mustard.

"He said 'you've got to call me coach from now on'. Gibbo has been fantastic for Durham and fantastic for the game in England and I think it's a good choice taking him to Sri Lanka."

If injuries hit hard, he is qualified to play for England, so how does Mustard feel about that faint possibility?

"Let's hope it doesn't get to that," he laughs.