James Taylor had been earmarked for a bright future from a young age. A short batsman - Chanderpaul-like in physique - he has adapted to the professional game with impressive results. A prolific 2009 season earned him the Cricket Writers' Club Young Player of the Year award and two more consistent season, especially in the one-day game, saw him move swiftly through the England Lions.

Although it took him until August of that campaign to make his first Championship hundred of the season, a week before the England squad was named he'd made two centuries in three games while captaining the Lions against Sri Lanka. It was enough to earn him a place in the full squad to face Ireland.

Taylor played Test cricket for the first time in 2012, making his debut in the second Test against South Africa after Ravi Bopara withdrew for 'personal reasons'. He made 34 in a 147-run partnership with Kevin Pietersen that helped secure a draw for England but through he retained his place for the third Test in that series he was not picked for the Test squad to tour India.

Taylor had previously represented England Under-19s, including at the 2008 World Cup, having progressed from Minor Counties cricket with Shropshire on his route to Leicestershire via the Worcestershire academy and second XI.

Taylor scored 3,689 runs in 53 first-class matches for Leicestershire, at an average of 49.18, but was advised he needed to play First Division cricket to advance his career and moved to Nottinghamshire at the end of the 2011 season, marking his first-class debut with a first-ball duck and an unbeaten century against Loughborough MCCU.
ESPNcricinfo staff