Essex head coach Paul Grayson believes it is a "no-brainer" that James Foster should be in contention for an England return.
Foster, 34, won the last of his seven Test caps in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne in 2002, but with Matt Prior a doubt for the start of the series with Sri Lanka due to an Achilles injury, Grayson believes he should be the man to come in.
The Essex captain has scored 302 County Championship runs at an average of 75.5 so far this season, and Grayson insists it is not too late for him to play for England again – pointing at Australia's Brad Haddin as an example.
"I know Fozzie very well, he's in a good place with his cricket at the moment," he said. "His keeping has never been in question for me, he's still the best around and he's scored some important runs as well.
"He's playing really well, when you look at the best side in world cricket at the moment Australia, Brad Haddin is their keeper and he's 36.
"Fozzie's 34 and if England are looking for someone if Matt Prior's not fit then for me it's a no-brainer, Fozzie's the best and all these guys who are being talked about have hardly kept in four-day cricket.
"You've got a proven world-class wicket-keeper there, and he would do a great job for England if called upon."
Foster scored runs in both innings of the drawn game with Leicestershire, adding to a fine 91 in difficult conditions at Bristol last week.
And Grayson admits Foster's ability to get a team out of trouble makes him a real commodity.
"He's a very good batsman in four-day and one-day cricket but what I like about him is that he gets runs when they are needed.
"He did that at Bristol last week, he did in the first innings this week and in the second innings, we were in a difficult position and we could've lost that game in the past so for me it's a no-brainer that he should be picked if Prior's not fit.
"Obviously I'm not on that selection panel but I think it's important that we back our own lads if we think they are worthy of being called up. I wouldn't go shouting from the rooftops for some of our lads if they weren't ready but I know with James he's ready."
