A left-arm spinner who takes wickets with guile and aggression rather than massive spin, Ray Price is Zimbabwe's most impressive spinner since Paul Strang. Price has the tenacity and self-belief to compete against the best, winning high praise for his seven wickets in his second Test against Bangladesh at Harare in April 2001, and indeed was first identified as a possible Test specialist for Zimbabwe. He acquitted himself well at Test level, picking up consecutive five-wicket hauls against South Africa and India in 2001-02 and taking 6 for 121 in Australia's first innings at Sydney in October 2003.

He almost bowled Zimbabwe to a remarkable victory in the first Test against West Indies in November of the same year, but was denied by the obdurate pair of Ridley Jacobs and Fidel Edwards. The 19 wickets he picked up in the two Tests against West Indies capped a superb year for Price in 2003-04, during which he took 33 wickets at 22.42 in five Tests against Australia, West Indies and Bangladesh, including three five-fors. But just as he established himself, he threw in his lot with Heath Streak and the rebel cricketers and found himself ostracised, and then went to England to resume his career, signing for Worcestershire in August 2004.

After three-and-a-half seasons, and in spite of his excellence in the one-day format, he rejected a new contract with Worcestershire for 2008. In November, he came out of exile after Zimbabwe Cricket offered him a new contract for their series against the West Indies. Since then, Price has established himself as a canny and economical bowler in one-day cricket. In 2009, he picked up 44 wickets in the format at 20.61 and ascended to second in the ICC one-day bowling rankings. A dogged batsman, he used to open the innings for Midlands in Zimbabwean domestic cricket, but has since settled into a far more suitable lower order role.

Price suffers from partial deafness owing to the effects of meningitis as a youngster. He is a trained installer of refrigeration and air-conditioning units. He is a handy golfer, but his uncle, Nick, is one of world's best: he won the British Open in 1994.

Liam Brickhill