A fantastic leg spinner during his times, Jim Higgs' potential wasn't realized properly in the international circuit but that was more about the era he played in than his own fault. A traditional spinner who loved to toss the ball up above the batsman's eyeline, Higgs also gave a massive tweak to the ball each time he delivered. As a result, he was able to extract appreciable turn and bounce off the surface. Apart from the leg break and googly, he also had other variations up his sleeve, famously the flipper and a slider which could deceive most batsmen. Since his First-class debut for Victoria, he became a vital cog of the State's bowling arsenal, often deceiving batsmen with his guile. With a few senior spinners already cementing their spot in the Australian squad, it was difficult for Higgs to break in.

The World Series Cricket saw the likes of Ashley Mallett, Ray Bright and Kerry O'Keeffe all run behind the caravan show, thereby opening up a spot for young Higgs. He got picked for the West Indies tour in 1978 and after a few impressive performances in the tour games, landed a Test debut. Along with Bruce Yardely, the leg spinner formed a potent combination. He had a moderate Ashes series that followed without really upping the ante. Once the star players returned from the World Series Cricket, Higgs' spot started to be insecure and he often had to make way for some of the bigger names. His last series was the tour of India where he also put in a match-winning performance in the second innings of the first Test. After retirement, Higgs served as a selector at Victoria while also doing the same role for the country as well. He was also closely associated with molding Shane Warne since the latter's younger days.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan