Wisden overview
In December 2002, when England had lost the Ashes for the eighth series in a row and the onus was on finding new blood, the last thing the team needed was another poseur. Fortunately, Kabir Ali – Worcestershire seam bowler and part-time male model – leaves his pouting well behind when he sets foot on a cricket pitch. One of the 50 most eligible bachelors in Britain (according to Asian Woman & Bride magazine), Kabir bowls with strength and stamina, and hits the bat hard from just short of a length. At a time when England fast bowlers were dropping like flies in Australia in 2002-03, Kabir's single-minded approach at the Adelaide Academy won him many friends - and promotion to the one-day squad. He bowls with a somewhat low-slung arm, but his impact on one-day cricket has been impressive. He picked up four wickets against Glamorgan in 2000 to take the Gold Award on his Benson & Hedges debut, and later that season he moved up from Worcestershire's Board XI to the full side in the NatWest Trophy. Unfortunately for Worcestershire, such a move was illegal, and though they won their original match, they lost the replay – to the eventual winners, Gloucestershire.

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