Jerome Taylor

Jerome Taylor has had a roller-coaster cricketing career. After playing only one domestic one-dayer for Jamaica, he was called up to represent the West Indies in an ODI against Sri Lanka in the 2003 season. He impressed on his debut by picking up 2/39 and demonstrated remarkable fielding abilities.

The 2003 season was a brilliant one for Taylor. He picked up 21 wickets in six games, including his best haul of 8/59 against Trinidad and Tobago. He continued to be a consistent performer by picking up 26 wickets in the 2004-05 season and 12 wickets in the 2006 season. With so many consistent returns, it was only a matter of time before he earned a recall back into the Test team after an indifferent show against the Sri Lankans in 2003. Playing in the third Test against India at St. Kitts, he managed to trouble the batsmen with his pace and bounce on a lifeless deck. He took it to the next level in the final Test on his home ground at Sabina Park.

His pace unsettled the best in the business and he finished up with match figures of 9/95, including his maiden five-wicket haul. He impressed on the tour to Pakistan when he picked up 5/91 and gave the West Indies a slim chance of winning the Test match. Taylor's Test form also reflected in the ODIs and in the Champions Trophy in 2006, he picked up a hat-trick against the Australians to become a spearhead of a depleted West Indies bowling line-up. He became the first West Indies bowler to take a hat-trick as he snapped up Michael Hussey, Brett Lee and Brad Hogg to set up a famous win against Australia.

Jamaica continued to be a favorite hunting ground for Taylor. After being out of the team following a slump in form, Taylor roared back in style against England in 2009. Taylor produced an astonishing display of seam bowling to bowl England out for just 51. His 5/11 helped West Indies win by an innings and inflict revenge on England for their 2004 humiliation when England had bundled them out for 47.

Back problems continued to plague Taylor and he spent close to three years on the sidelines. In his first game for Jamaica following rehabilitation, Taylor took 3-33 in a bowling display of verve and purpose to help his team beat Ireland by six wickets.

Finally, the call came for Taylor's return to the national side in 2014. He was added to the squad for the home series against New Zealand. The fast bowler, since then, has not looked back as he has been the strike bowler for West Indies in both Tests and ODIs. Though, he does not have the wickets to show for it, Taylor has been bowling well and the selectors persevered with him when they announced the 15-man World Cup squad for Australia.

After picking just 2 wickets in 3 games during the 2015-16 season Down Under, Taylor announced his retirement from Test cricket weeks before India toured the Caribbean. He, however, made himself available for the shorter formats and was recalled into the national side for the England tour in September 2017. He also featured in the T20Is in New Zealand in early 2018, a three-match series that hosts New Zealand won 2-0.