A former footballer who was signed as a batsman, Keith Barker actually made his name as a left-arm swing bowler. Declining the offer of a Lancashire contract when he was 16, Barker instead pursued a career in football and, as a striker, represented England at U-18, U-19 and U-20 level. But after signing for Blackburn Rovers, he dropped to Rochdale Town and then Northwich Victoria and, by the time he was 21, it became apparent that he was not going to make it as a footballer. With Lancashire initially showing little interest in having him back, he impressed in club cricket with Enfield in the Lancashire League and, having scored a century in a trial match, was offered a contract by Warwickshire in August 2008.

Barker made his maiden first-class century against a strong Durham attack in 2011 having been called into the game after two days as a substitute for William Porterfield and followed it up with another against Sussex a couple of games later. But it was in 2012 that he really made a breakthrough, taking the new ball and claiming 56 wickets at only 20 apiece, including five five-wicket hauls, in the Championship and helping Warwickshire win the title. While his batting, hampered by some discomfort against the short ball, has regressed, his emergence as one of the best left-arm swing bowlers in the county game provided hope that he could yet go on to play at international level. Despite interest from several other counties, he committed his future to Warwickshire before the end of the 2012 season. Barker is the son of the former British Guiana cricketer, also named Keith, and the godson of former West Indies captain, Clive Lloyd, with whom he shares the distinctive middle name, Hubert.
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