In December 2002, when England had lost the Ashes for the eighth series in a row and the onus was on finding new blood, the last thing the team needed was another poseur. For a time, it seemed Kabir Ali, a seam-bowling allrounder and part-time male model who leaves his pouting well behind when he sets foot on a cricket pitch, was their man. One of the 50 most eligible bachelors in Britain (according to Asian Woman & Bride magazine), Kabir bowls with strength and stamina, and hits the bat hard from just short of a length, albeit with a somewhat low-slung action.

At a time when England fast bowlers were dropping like flies in Australia in 2002-03, Kabir's single-minded approach at the Adelaide Academy won him many friends - and promotion to the one-day squad. He made his debut the following summer, although he was not an instant success. His ODI bow was washed out before he had taken the field, while his solitary Test ended in a dispiriting defeat at Headingley, but England did not forget, and after earning a recall for the Champions Trophy in 2004, he went on to be one of England's few successes in a 4-1 series defeat in South Africa. He was the leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps, and overcame his jitters - and a no-ball that went for four - to secure a thrilling tie in the final over at Bloemfontein.

Subsequent opportunities were few and far between - although he did impress in phases in Pakistan and India the following winter. His one-day career came to have come to a stuttering halt after he went for more than 7 an over in two matches against Sri Lanka in 2006, and he was not selected for the subsequent series against Pakistan. The selectors finally appeared to have decided Ali was out of his depth in international cricket.

He was overlooked by England for the 2007 World Cup and slipped back into the county scene, snaring an eight-wicket haul against Lancashire in the championship that summer. His consistent performances led to a Lions call-up for their trip to India in early 2008, but picked up an ankle injury that ruled him out of the tour.

At the end of the 2009 season, with a year still left on his contract, Kabir added to Worcestershire's woes by asking for permission to speak to other counties. Hampshire eventually expressed an interest but Worcestershire, who were facing massive cut-backs and suffered a pre-tax loss of £118,439 for the year, insisted he was going nowhere unless £60,000 compensation was paid to the club. Kabir responded by snubbing the team's pre-season training in January 2010, and the dispute threatened to reach a stalemate. Eventually, however, his move to Hampshire was secured, but injury wrecked his 2010 season and it wasn't until 2011 that he resumed full service for them.

Andrew Miller June 2011