He was described by cricket journalist Simon Wilde as "a natural gloveman, beautifully economical in his movements and armed with tremendous powers of concentration".
A servant for Kent for over twenty years, helping them to a number of successes such as in the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1973 and 1976, in the Gillette Cup in 1974 (where he was man of the match in the final),[3] and to a share of the 1977 County Championship, Knott scored over 18000 first-class runs and made 1344 first-class wicketkeepting dismissals, placing him fourth on the all-time list (behind only Bob Taylor, John Murray and Bert Strudwick).
He made 28 in the second match but didn't make the starting eleven for the 1967–68 tour of the West Indies, as Jim Parks was initially preferred.
Amidst the tension - which was too much for Cowdrey and Tom Graveney, who had gone and locked themselves in the toilets - Knott stayed calm and guided Jones through the final over to obtain the draw.
He made two 50s in the series, including 96 not out at Karachi when the match was prematurely ended by a pitch invasion by Pakistani fans, denying him a well-deserved hundred.
[11]In the 1970–71 series in Australia he was instrumental in England regaining the Ashes, taking five catches and stumping Doug Walters in the decisive Seventh Test in Sydney.
Knott and Tony Greig ran two overthrows before Andy Roberts, fielding at square-leg, retrieved the ball and threw it past the stumps at the bowler's end and over the long-off boundary for four more runs.
[15] Knott's England career came to an end when he chose to take part in the first rebel tour to South Africa in 1981-82, in defiance of the sporting ban against the apartheid state.
He was still regarded as one of the finest wicketkeepers in the country, and his reasons for retirement included concern over an ankle injury as well as concentrating on his sports shop in Herne Bay, Kent, and gymnasium business.
His trademarks included always keeping his shirt collar turned up to protect him from the sun; his sleeves rolled down to safeguard his elbows when diving; and, after a tip from former Northamptonshire and England wicket-keeper Keith Andrew, warming his hands with hot water before going onto the field.
[21] On 6 September 2009 Alan Knott was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame,[22] and in 2013 he was named in Wisden's all-time Test World XI.