Alex Loudon

When Alex Loudon was named in England's Test squad for their tour to Pakistan in 2005-06, it was the culmination of an effortless progression through the ranks that has had him earmarked for years as a future England captain. A prodigious player in his schooldays at Eton College, he moved steadily from public school to university to county cricket in the smooth fashion that was once common-place but is now most unusual. After captaining England in the Under-19 World Cup in 1999-2000, he went to Durham University. His 317 runs there in 2003, boosted by 172 against Durham, was the most in a single season by a UCCE player. While his batting might not have pushed on since then quite as expected, he has developed his offspin impressively, adding a fledgling doosra to his armoury, and in his last outing for Kent in 2004, he took 6 for 47 to complete a Championship win over Middlesex. To general surprise (and displeasure) in Canterbury, he signed a two-year contract with Warwickshire three weeks later.

2006 proved a disappointing year for Loudon. It started well when he scored a hundred for the MCC against Nottinghamshire in the traditional curtain-raiser to the season, and he was subsequently selected for England A and the full England squad for the ODIs against Sri Lanka. However, he played just once, was run-out without facing a ball, and lost out comprehensively to Jamie Dalrymple in the fight for the vacant spinner's spot. While Dalrymple went from strength to strength, Loudon's summer became a tailspin of injury and loss of form, and by the end he was struggling to justify his place in the Warwickshire team. After another mediocre summer in 2007 he decided not to accept a new contract and retired to pursue a business career, starting with studying for exams he hoped would get him into business school.
Debashish Biswas November 2007