Sussex wicketkeeper Matt Prior admits he is no closer to making a comeback.

Prior has been sidelined by a serious Achilles injury since pulling out of England’s Test series with India last July.

The 33-year-old underwent surgery in October and initially hoped to return to action for Sussex at the start of this season but his rehabilitation is taking longer than expected.

Prior said: “It’s still slow progress unfortunately. It was obviously a very big injury and a big operation and it’s quite frustrating, “I’m sort of taking two steps forward and four back but I haven’t given up hope that I’ll one day be back on a cricket pitch. I love the game and I want to be back out in the middle again.”

Prior has not given up hope of adding to his 79 Test caps yet but accepts his hopes of featuring in this summer’s Ashes are now over.

The former Brighton College pupil has played in four series against Australia – winning three of them – and believes the appointment of Trevor Bayliss this week could turn out to be a masterstroke as England bid to win back the urn they lost in such emphatic fashion Down Under in 2014.

Prior added: “We’ll have an Aussie in the ranks, which I think is actually quite a good idea.

“I think it’s going to work brilliantly. Why wouldn’t you want an insight into Aussie mentality and how they might play their game?

“He’s got a wealth of experience as well so I think it could work really well.”