By Sam Lyon

No-one has nailed the position of England keeper since I retired, but Matt is going a long way to doing so Alec Stewart on Matt Prior

Few recent England players seem to have split cricket fans' and commentators' opinion quite as comprehensively or passionately as Matt Prior.

The Sussex gloveman burst onto the Test arena with a century at Lord's and finished the season with an average of just under 40 and a series win against the West Indies under his belt.

Yet his perceived vocal aggression behind the stumps, combined with the occasional error with the gloves, prompted many to call into question not just his position in the side but also his character.

At times, with one article in The Telegraph newspaper referring to him as "a buffoon", the criticism was just downright spiteful.

However, following an enforced six-week absence and comeback duck in the first innings in Kandy, Prior produced arguably his best international innings to date in almost salvaging an unlikely draw against Sri Lanka alongside Ian Bell.

It eventually proved to be in vain as England lost by 88 runs, but it went a long way to justifying the selectors' faith in him after a difficult few months.

And, according to former keepers Alec Stewart and Jack Russell, it was further confirmation that the 25-year-old has the ability and mental character to be England's stand-out keeper-batsman for years to come.

"He's had to take a lot of knocks, but the way he has come back proves the kind of person and player that he is," Russell told BBC Sport.

606: DEBATE If the likes of Stewart and Russell are willing to get behind Prior, perhaps it's time his critics did the same? Sam Lyon

"He has a real mental strength and a big heart. He is determined, talented, and now everybody has to just leave him alone and let him get on with it."

Stewart - director of the company that represents Prior - told BBC Sport: "It is well documented that I am a Matt Prior fan and the fact is that if he keeps playing the way he is, any critics he has out there will soon disappear.

"No-one has really put their hand up and nailed down the position of England keeper-batsman since I retired, but Matt is going a long way to doing that."

While Prior's score of 63 ranked only third in his list of high-scores in his short career so far, the fact that he survived on a turning pitch for almost 60 overs on a final day in Sri Lanka, and against Muttiah Muralitharan, made the knock all the more special.

"Sri Lanka is the hardest place in the world to play cricket because of everything that goes with it," said Stewart. "You have the heat, the humidity and the type of pitches you play on are largely alien to English players.

Stewart and Russell won 397 international caps between them

"But while Matt is renowned as a stroke-maker, he showed he is capable of playing defensively, with good technique, in what was almost a match-saving innings.

"Add to that what I thought was a really good match for him with the gloves, and it was probably a timely reminder of how good he is."

And, says Russell, credit must go to coach Peter Moores and the England selectors for keeping faith with the Sussex man.

"It is absolutely crucial that players are given every chance to prove themselves in the modern game and the way we've chopped and changed in the past has been ridiculous at times," he said.

"Consistency of selection is absolutely key to a team's success and Matt's knock today only goes to strengthen that argument.

"Nobody's perfect and things go wrong in a game from time to time. But players have to be given a chance to settle, learn their role and then find a groove.

"The fact is that Matt has had a very decent start to his international career and, with the backing of the selectors, he is proving himself a very, very good player."

Bell and Prior shared a stand of 109 off 266 deliveries in Kandy

So, should Prior continue to receive the backing of Moores - and comments from the England coach even before the defeat in Kandy suggests he will - how good can he become?

"As far as I'm concerned, he is already a better keeper than some people reckon," says Russell. "He kept very, very well in this match.

"England have long been looking for a batting keeper ala (Australian) Adam Gilchrist and in Matt they've found that player. He's already better up to the stumps than Gilchrist, in my opinion, and he is a fine batsman.

"He's number one in that position without question now, and should be for the foreseeable future."

And Stewart adds: "Matt knows this is a results business and he won't be resting on his laurels. He can play in big part for England in turning this series around - and beyond."

That's quite a turn-around for a player over-looked for a central contract in September and who received such criticism after the series against India.

And, as far as Stewart and Russell are concerned, the sky is now the limit for Prior.