Boyd Rankin first came to prominence as part of the Ireland team that progressed to the Super Eight section of the 2007 World Cup. Blessed with great height - Rankin is six feet, seven inches tall - he gained bounce from even the most sluggish of surfaces and claimed 12 wickets in the tournament to help his side to notable victories over Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Progress was fitful, though. Having spent some time on the staff at Middlesex without ever making it into the first team, Rankin broke into the Derbyshire side on the back of his World Cup success and then moved to Warwickshire at the end of the 2007 season. Hampered by a succession of injuries, it was until 2009 when, having put greater onus on strength and fitness, that he began to fulfil his potential. In 2011 he was part of the Ireland side that defeated England in the World Cup game in Bangalore and then passed 50 first-class wickets in a county season for the first time. After one particularly hostile spell in which he struck Marcus Trescothick several times on the body, the Somerset opener praised Rankin for being as good a fast bowler as he faced that season. While consistency and fitness remained an issue, there was little doubt that, when the force was with him, Rankin had the pace, bounce and lateral movement to discomfort any batsman.

Rankin made his England Lions debut in 2011 against Sri Lanka A and was selected on the England Performance Programme later that same year. He came very close to being called-up to the Test squad at the start of 2012 when Chris Tremlett was forced out of the series in the UAE due to injury, but was unavailable due to fitness issues of his own.

After 37 ODIs and 15 T20Is, he retired from Irish cricket towards the end of 2012 in order to concentrate on winning a place in the England Test side. Having struggled to remain injury free, it was made clear to him that his body could not sustain the burden of playing all formats of the game for Ireland, Warwickshire and England Lions. It was also made clear to him by his then club coach, Ashley Giles, that he would not be guaranteed another county contract unless he committed to Warwickshire and England.

He again missed large chunks of the 2012 season due to injury but, after impressing at the start of 2013, was called into the England squad for the ODI series against New Zealand after injuries to Stuart Broad and Steven Finn.

Rankin hails from a cricket-playing farming family in Londonderry. Two brothers and a sister have also played representative cricket for Ireland and his career after cricket may well be back on the family farm.
George Dobell May 2013