Wisden overview
A slim-bodied but whole-hearted quick bowler, with a rare gift for swinging the ball at pace, Kirtley was England's leading first-class wicket-taker in 2001. Speeding to the crease from a die-straight run, he completes a chest-on action with an eye-watering wrench of the back. His fitness record is solid enough, but there have been murmurs about the legality of his bowling action. Before he played for England, he was filmed by biomechanics experts and cleared by an eight-man ECB panel, but no sooner had he made his international debut, in a Harare one-dayer in October 2001, than suspicions were aired again by the match referee, Colonel Naushad Ali. With the backing of both the Sussex and England management, Kirtley carried on regardless, and returned to the side the following summer, following extensive remedial work. There was an irony in Kirtley's return to Zimbabwe in an England shirt, as he started the rot on Mike Atherton's horror tour of 1996-97 by collecting seven wickets as Mashonaland's overseas player. His reputation has grown steadily since, and he was called up for the first home Test of 2003 after injuries to the long-term spearhead of Gough and Caddick. Until then the highlight of his brief international career was an amazing one-handed outfield catch, off Sourav Ganguly, at Lord's in 2002. Simon Briggs

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