An all-round cricketer, Gareth Batty flirted with international cricket for a brief while before being dropped for good. The fact that his career coincided with the likes of Ashley Giles and Graeme Swann did not help his cause either.

His batting played a crucial role in England saving successive Tests in Galle and Kandy. However, Batty's bowling, which revolved more around restriction rather than attack, came under scrutinity. He was dropped from the Test team after famous 2004 Antigua Test, where Brian Lara cracked an unbeaten 400.

Batty earned a Test recall two years later for the home series against Bangladesh but failed to deliver again. Batty's ODI career also did not take off. He was more comfortable in the county circuit, taking 500-plus first-class wickets to go with 207 List-A scalps.

Batty began his county career with Yorkshire in 1997 before switching to Yorkshire. However, he reached his full potential at Worcestershire. He took over the captaincy reins when Hamilton Brown opted for a break, inspiring his side to punch above its weight and avert relegation in 2012.

By Cricketlineguruji Staff