Danish Kaneria

Leg-spin has always been a difficult craft to master, but Danish Kaneria made it the foundation of a highly successful Test career. Tall for a spinner and capable of generating sharp turn and bounce, he turned those attributes into a genuine wicket-taking threat. In a Pakistan side renowned for its fast bowlers, Kaneria found his own way to make an impact, using his googly and attacking approach to become one of the country's most trusted Test spinners.

Danish's introduction to Test cricket came against England at Faisalabad in late 2000. The step up proved difficult at first, and Kaneria was dropped after just two matches. The setback did not last long. Recalled against Bangladesh nine months later, he responded with 25 wickets across three Tests during assignments against them in 2001 and 2002. It was the kind of performance that gave Pakistan reason to persist with a young leg-spinner still finding his way at international level.

From there, Kaneria gradually became more assured and more influential. His 19 wickets during Pakistan's Test series in India in 2005 established him as a central part of Pakistan's Test attack. County cricket provided another important chapter. Kaneria spent six seasons with Essex between 2004 and 2010, gaining experience in English conditions and becoming a regular feature of the county game. His career had continued to build steadily, but his time in England would eventually become the source of its most difficult chapter.

In 2012, the England and Wales Cricket Board found Kaneria guilty of corruption in relation to a 2009 domestic match involving Essex and Durham. He was subsequently banned from cricket for life. Kaneria appealed the decision but was unsuccessful, while the Pakistan Cricket Board also endorsed the ban domestically. With no route back into professional cricket, his playing career effectively came to an end.