England player profiles

Nasser Hussain

Born: 28.3.68
Tests: 47
Runs: 2974
Wickets: 0
One-day internationals: 42
Runs: 933
Wickets: 0

Nasser Hussain's potential was first recognised by England as a 21-year-old in 1989 - but it is only in recent years that he has been able to cement his place.

He faced a difficult time in his first Test, against the West Indies, and was consequently placed in international 'Coventry' for four years, due to poor form and his alleged rebel streak.

But the Essex star bounced back and undelined his new mature approach with a superb double century against Australia in 1997.

Hussain's rise has saw him earn both the vice-captaincy in 1998 and then the captaincy itself, following England's unsuccessful 1998 World Cup campaign.

His instinctive choice of strokes is second to none, and he is rated as one of the best cover fielders in the world.

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Michael Atherton

Born: 23.3.68
Tests: 95
Runs: 6403
Wickets: 2
One-day internationals: 54
Runs: 1791
Wickets: 0

Michael Atherton has been renowned for a decade as being one of the best opening batsmen in the modern game.

His patience is England's virtue, and he can play both pace and spin with ease.

Opponents often believe that the wicket of Atherton is the most highly prized of the England team.

At Cambridge University he was often touted as 'FEC' or 'Future England Captain' - and that prediction was to come true when he was made skipper for the final two Tests against Australia in 1993.

Although solid as leader, he was never spectacular, and resigned from his post after a poor tour of the West Indies in 1997-98.

His batting suffered as well during the reign, but new captain Alec Stewart recalled Atherton to the England side for the Test series against South Africa, where he averaged more than 50, and showed the form of old.

Since then the Lancashire star has had a series of back problems.

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Andrew Caddick

Born: 21.11.68
Tests: 30
Runs: 522
Wickets: 110
One-day internationals: 18
Runs: 67
Wickets: 26

Somerset's Andrew Caddick could have played for New Zealand, his place of birth, but chose England after being overlooked by the Kiwi side.

His bowling style has often been compared to that of Sir Richard Hadlee's - with a hard run-up and high delivery.

Caddick made his debut in 1993, and found himself in the record books, as the man who bowled out Brian Lara, for 375.

After a period out of the international scene due to shin splints, he returned to the England side after a fantastic 1999 season.

Although Caddick lacks lightning pace, his accuracy with line and length sets him apart from those of his ilk.

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Andrew Flintoff

Born: 06/12/77
Tests: 6
Runs: 172
Wickets: 6
One-day internationals: 9
Runs: 100
Wickets: 7

Young Lancastrian Andrew Flintoff is in the mould of New Zealand's Chris Cairns - big and powerful, with both bat and ball.

The 22-year-old has yet to fulifil his undoubted potential, as he often falls foul of rash strokes and has suffered from back problems which have hindered his fast-medium bowling.

He debuted for Lancashire in 1995 and consistently good performaces earned him a Test call-up in 1998.

Flintoff played in the final two Tests against South Africa that year, but failed to make much of an impression, picking up a pair in the fabled fifth Test.

After good all-round performances on the England A Tour in 1998-99, the burly cricketer was recalled into the senior squad for the tournament in Sharjah and the World Cup.

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Ed Giddins

Born: 20/7/71
Tests: 1
Runs: 0
Wickets: 4
One-day internationals: 0
Runs: 0
Wickets: 0

Warwickshire's Ed Giddins is one of the more colourful charcacters in cricket.

He came into prominence as a Sussex player and was called up to the England A squad for the tour of Pakistan.

But his career came crashing down to earth after he tested positive for cocaine in 1996 and was consequently suspended for 18 months.

Sussex did not want him back, but a move to Edgbaston rejuvenated the player, and he has since impressed with his fast-medium pace.

Giddins was rewarded for a good 1999 season, with a place in the England squad for the final, yet fateful, Test against New Zealand last summer.

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Darren Gough

Born: 18/9/70
Tests: 36
Runs: 532
Wickets: 139
One-day internationals: 74
Runs: 340
Wickets: 124

As soon as Yorkshire's Darren Gough entered the international arena, he was immediately touted as the new Ian Botham.

His passion for the game, coupled with a cavalier approach with the bat and ball excited everybody concerned with England.

But injury has dogged Gough's international career and he has struggled to recapture the all-round form which saw him perform heroics during the 1994-95 senior of Australia.

But there were welcoming signs on his return to Australia for the 1998-99 series when he took a fantastic hat-trick in the final Test.

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Stephen Harmison

Born: 23/10/78
Tests: 0
Runs: 0
Wickets: 0
One-day internationals: 0
Runs: 0
Wickets: 0

Durham bowler Steve Harmison will be hope to be to cricket, what Alan Shearer is to football.

Cricket is certainly not the focus of attention up in the football crazy North East, but the Geordie fast bowler may change all that.

Harmison's career was temporarily halted by a serious back injury which ruled him out of the 1997 season.

But his fightback to fitness has come hand-in-hand with the county side's vast improvement.

The 22-year-old is a genuinely quick right-armer, a rarity in English cricket.

He was selected for the A tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa, and is now part of the senior squad to face Zimabawe.

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Graeme Hick

Born: 23/5/66
Tests: 54
Runs: 3005
Wickets: 24
One-day internationals: 105
Runs: 3513
Wickets: 28

Once hyped as the saviour of English, Hick's Test career has followed a frustrating 'stop-start' pattern.

The Zimbabwe-born batsman moved to England when he was 17 and success for Worcestershire saw him catapulted into the national side as soon as he had qualified for his adopted country.

But Hick found it hard to reproduce his form at county level on the Test stage.

He can often produce a whirlwind innings, but is also just as likely to give his wicket away, playing naive shots.

He is brilliant slip fielder and possesses a strong arm as well as a useful off-break ball.

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Nick Knight

Born: 28/11/69
Tests: 12
Runs: 585
Wickets: 0
One-day internationals: 53
Runs: 1293
Wickets: 0

Like Graeme Hick, Nick Knight is also regarded as a batsman with unrealised Test potential.

The 30-year-old moved from Essex to Warwickshire and good performances earned him promotion to the England squad to face the West Indies in 1995.

Knight, however, was labelled as a one-day player - especially after starring in the 1996 Texaco one-day series against Pakistan, when he scored back-to-back tons.0

The opener was dropped by England after a poor run of form and never came into contention for the side's selected at the last World Cup.

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Mark Ramprakash

Born: 05/9/69
Tests: 38
Runs: 1701
Wickets: 4
One-day internationals: 13
Runs: 265
Wickets: 0

Middlesex star Mark Ramprakash is one of the best batsmen in county cricket.

He is a fluent stroke-maker and often produces big scores, but has found it hard to translate that form for England.

Ramprakash impressed in the final Test against Australia during the 1997-98 tour and again proved his worth by becoming the outstanding batsmen in England's Test series against the West Indies.

He took over the captaincy of Middlesex in 1997 but resigned in 1999.

After being dropped for the tour of South Africa last winter he will be looking to leapfrog some other hopefuls and clinch his place this summer.

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Chris Schofield

Born: 06/10/78
Tests: 0
Runs: 0
Wickets: 0
One-day internationals: 0
Runs: 0
Wickets: 0

When Lancashire's Chris Schofield was awarded an England contract, there was an air of surprise around the cricketing world.

The 21-year-old was not a regular for his county side, but he had a quality rare in English cricket - leg-spin.

Schofield's rise to the first-team saw a glutton of wickets in his opening two matches.

The arrival of Mutiah Muralitharan prevented the youngster from making more appearances, but nevertheless he was awarded with a place in England A's 1999-2000 squad to tour Bangladesh and New Zealand in.

And his arrival on the top table was confirmed when he was granted an ECB contract for the 2000 season.

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Alec Stewart

Born: 08/4/63
Tests: 95
Runs: 6525
Wickets: 0
One-day internationals: 125
Runs: 3378
Wickets: 0

Surrey's Alec Stewart is an excellent wicket-keeper and opening batsmen, but has not always found combining the two skills a straightforward task.

He took over as as vice-captain for the tour of South Africa in 1995, and after a good tour of the West Indies in 1997-98 and Atherton's departure, he was promoted to skipper.

After a fantastic home series victory over South Africa, his form as both captain and batsmen slipped, leading to his removal after a dismal 1999 World Cup.

But he showed in South Africa that he remains one of the most prized wickets in the England team - and a player capable of producing quickfire, match-winning innings.

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Craig White

Born: 16/12/69
Tests: 8
Runs: 166
Wickets: 11
One-day internationals: 23
Runs: 280
Wickets: 29

The Aussie Yorkshireman has always been on the brink of England stardom, without ever actually achieving it.

White is an all-rounder, but - up to now - is more accomplished in the one-day arena than at Test level.

His medium-fast bowling is often mixed-up and he can surprise batsmen with a quicker ball.

After a long period away from international cricket he was called up into the England one-day squad for this year's Triangular series in South Africa.