A right-hand aggressive top-order batsman - and a destructive one in one-day cricket - Mal Loye seemed destined for international honours, playing England Under-19 and then being picked for an A-team tour in 1993-94. But somehow he was made to wait another 13 years to play at the highest level, when he was selected as a replacement for England's one-day campaign in Australia. It had been a long, long time coming. In 1998 he was named PCA Cricketer of the Year, and was actually told he had been picked for the last Test of the summer against Sri Lanka, only to be left out three hours later when the selectors instead opted for Steve James. Although he made his second A-team tour, again to South Africa, that winter, he rather fell from the reckoning thereafter. In 2003 he moved to Lancashire and made an immediate impression with back-to-back hundreds on his debut. Finally, after a string of injuries, his chance came during the 2006-07 CB Series and he even had the confidence to sweep Brett Lee for six on debut. However, he couldn't build an innings and was left out of the World Cup squad when Michael Vaughan returned.
Martin Williamson April 2007

• Five players handed penalties (Jun 20, 2008)
  
• Powerful Morkel sinks Lancashire (Jun 17, 2008)
  
• Croft seals remarkable Lancashire win (May 4, 2008)
  
• Flintoff rested for Lancashire victory (Mar 14, 2008)
  
• Loye fumes at Graveney's 'lack of respect' (Aug 7, 2007)
  

View the full list of 56 related articles

Jun 10, 2008 Mal Loye 2008 © Getty Images

Mar 14, 2008 Mal Loye on his way to 83 © arabiancricket.com

Jun 27, 2007 Mal Loye strikes out on his way to 38 © Getty Images

View the full list of 42 related images