Shaftab Khalid

It says something about the absence of many top-quality spin bowlers in English cricket that Worcestershire's off-spinner Shaftab Khalid was suddenly propelled to prominence by being named in the ECB National Academy squad for the 2003/04 winter. He made his first-team debut in the 2003 season in both types of cricket. His first-class debut came against Oxford University, while he made a rather more publicised first appearance in limited-overs cricket when he faced the touring South Africans at New Road, claiming captain Graeme Smith as his first victim at that level. After this early impact Khalid has faded from view. His selection for the National Academy in 2004-05 was again surprising, and since then Khalid has represented Worcestershire just once in first-class cricket. He is behind the ever-consistent Gareth Batty at Worcester, who had another consistent season in 2006.