As a pace-bowling allrounder, it's no surprise that Luke Wright admires Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff. When Flintoff retired from Test cricket after the 2009 Ashes, Wright was one the names mentioned as a potential successor and although he is some way off, his game is progressing - particularly in limited-overs cricket, where Wright has forged a permanent place in the side in Flintoff's absence. He has had a stop-start time at international level, but he wasn't helped by being shunted from the middle order to opener and back down again early on in his career.

The latest move, though, is to have him back in the middle order to provide the boundary-hitting power that England often lack and a useful fourth seamer, which is the role he performed admirably in England's World Twenty20-winning team in 2010. Wright contributed 90 runs in significant circumstances in England's successful campaign, and though he bowled only one over in the tournament, it was a pivotal one - he got rid of the in-form Cameron White in the final against Australia.

Among his achievements, Wright represented England Under-19s, won the Denis Compton medal three times and scored a century on his first-class debut for Sussex. He was also a key part of the Sussex team that won the C&G Trophy final in 2006. He spent two winters at the National Academy based at Loughborough University, where he was right at home having studied Sports Science and Sports Massage there.

He took his first steps towards emulating the likes of Flintoff and reaching the England side in February 2006 when he was called to the West Indies to bolster the England A squad, who had lost players to the seniors in India. Being in the Caribbean certainly beat spending your 21st birthday in the depths of the English winter.

But his career really blossomed during the 2007 Twenty20 Cup when he was the leading run-scorer with 346 runs. He hit 50 on his ODI debut against India, at The Oval in 2007 and earned a place in England's 15-man squad for the first World Twenty20 in South Africa. At Napier, in 2008, he bowled his one and only over of the match to secure a tie against New Zealand and at the 2009 World Twenty20 gave the ball a thump as opener, although it was an all-or-nothing tournament for Wright.

Under Andy Flower's guidance though, he settled into England's long-term limited overs plans batting down in the order and was a crucial cog in England's triumphant 2010 World Twenty20 side - offering power hitting at six and nerveless yorker bowling whenever he was needed.
Jenny Thompson May 2010