Josh Tongue’s debut County Season was stuff for the ages as the youngster played a prominent part in Worcestershire’s promotion to Division One in 2017. Consequently, he was rewarded with a place in the England Lions set-up and a Test spot didn’t seem that far away. However, a serious back injury derailed his progress and Tongue was ruled out for a year. He belongs to the minority of English pacers who can crank high speeds and given his frame, he’s also capable of generating disconcerting bounce. Of course, he can also move the ball both ways, and all these attributes were detrimental to Tongue’s sensational arrival in the 2017-18 season when he ended up in the top ten wicket-takers of the season with 47 scalps at an impressive average of a shade below 26. He’s also a more than handy batsman and can work himself into a bowling all-rounder if everything goes well. Tongue has been a product of the Worcestershire age system and was spotted early in his childhood.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan