Matt Prior is being tipped for international success by the last Sussex player to represent his country.

The 22-year-old will open the innings in the one-day series in Zimbabwe later this month after impressive county form last season earned him his first England call-up.

Prior and the rest of Michael Vaughan's squad travel to Namibia next Monday for practice and warm-up games before heading to Zimbabwe for the five-match series.

Sussex team-mate James Kirtley played the last of his 11 one-day internationals against West Indies in May.

The 29-year-old hasn't been able to win his place back since, but he is confident Prior can carry the flag for the county on the biggest stage of all.

He said: "I'm sure Matt will do very well, he is just the sort of exciting talent (coach) Duncan Fletcher is fond of.

"He has all the ingredients to succeed. There's no doubting he is talented enough. In one-day cricket last season for Sussex he performed consistently well and I don't think he will be overawed by the step up to playing for England."

In the absence of Marcus Trescothick, Prior has been earmarked to open the batting against Zimbabwe, a role he performed successfully for Sussex this year when he averaged 37.4 and scored his maiden one-day hundred in a Totesport League match against Durham.

Kirtley, who also made his England debut in Zimbabwe three years ago, has one piece of advice for his county team-mate.

"All I would say to Matt is be yourself'. This might be his only opportunity this winter, but once he gets a taste for it he will want more and more. Playing for your country makes you even more determined to keep doing it and Matt will be no different from the rest of us in that."

Skills Prior has been sharpening up his skills at the National Academy in Loughborough before returing to Sussex this week to rest up.

"I'm going as a batsman, but I've also been doing some wicket-keeping work and keeping an eye on that just in case," he revealed.

"I am trying to keep all options open. I want to make sure I can go to the selectors and say, Look, I can bat in the top five, I can keep and I can field at extra cover or backward point and do a good job. I don't just want to bracket myself as a keeper or a batsman.

"Cricket is becoming more like that. You have got to be able to do more than one discipline. You can't be a sluggish fielder anymore, you have to field well to win games of cricket. I love my fielding and I have been working hard at it."

Among Prior's mentors at the Academy is Mike Young, an American baseball coach who has also worked with the Australian cricket team.

"From working with Mike, I can see improvements in my fielding already," added Prior.

"(Academy Director) Rod Marsh holds me in high regard as a fielder and that has played a part in my selection."