Hampshire wicketkeeping coach Bobby Parks reckons Michael Bates is too good not to be playing county cricket.

Parks coached Bates from the age of 11 before one of the brightest wicketkeeping talents in the English game was released by director of cricket Giles White and first-team coach Dale Benkenstein last month.

Bates, 23, is hoping to be given the chance to continue his career elsewhere, but with no obvious spot available that is by no means certain.

Parks admits: “It’s disappointing that we couldn’t find a place for Michael, he and I are very good friends having worked together for the last 12 years. It doesn’t seem that long since Raj Maru first asked me to work with him as a young lad and he’s developed into an out-and-out matchwinner.

“He proved that in the T20 cricket and in the 40-over final two years ago. I’ve talked to him several times in the last few weeks and have given him a couple of leads.

“He’s too good a wicketkeeper not to be playing county cricket.”

Parks admits there are similarities between Bates’ exit, 18 months after the arrival of rival Adam Wheater, and the end of his own Hampshire career following the emergence of Adie Aymes.

He said: “Adie and I were also different types of cricketer, he was the better batsman and now it’s just that the club want the wicketkeeper to also be a number five/six batter.

“It was a tough call for Giles, but he’s paid to make decisions and I respect them. I have to keep doing my job which is getting the players ready for the first team.

“I just hope for Michael’s sake he finds somewhere.”

Ironically, Bates’ departure is due to the development of Lewis McManus and Tom Alsop, who have both played for England Under-19s, as well as the presence of Wheater, who has also improved under Parks’ tutelage since signing from Essex.

“It’s a real privilege for me as a keeping coach to work with them all,” said Parks, who played 253 first-class matches for Hampshire from 1980-92.

“There’s still more to come from Adam, he’s one of those cricketers who’s got more to give. If he can really knuckle down and do things right he will be a big asset to this club.

“But Giles and Dale will at some stage have to make a decision on who is their reserve wicketkeeper and Tom and Lewis are completely different types of cricketer.

“Lewis is very technical, beautifully balanced and a very good athlete, while Tom is relatively new to wicketkeeping but has his nose in front of Lewis as a batsman after playing the last couple of games of last season.”