Joe Root
Having made an impressive Test debut for England last month, Joe Root (above) is now hungry for more runs on the international stage. Having opened with great success for Yorkshire in the 2012 county season, the 22-year-old deserved his opportunity to represent his country and he soon looked at home against the Indian bowlers in Nagpur. Many observers have compared his technique to that of former England captain Michael Vaughan and this was clearly in evidence as he compiled a patient 73 and 20 not out to lead England to a series victory. This year, Root will try to cement his place in the England top six for the Ashes and also look to make an impact in the limited overs side when the chance arises.
Jackson Bird
In the space of 18 months, Jackson Bird has gone from being on the verge of quitting cricket to becoming one of Australia’s greatest threats for the upcoming Ashes series. With first team opportunities not arising in New South Wales, the seam bowler headed to Tasmania in late 2011 hoping to ignite his career. He made an immediate impact in his first season with 53 wickets at 16 apiece in the Sheffield Shield including a hat-trick against Western Australia. This alerted the Australia selectors to his potential and when Mitchell Starc was rested for the Boxing Day against Sri Lanka in December, Bird got his opportunity and responded with eight wickets in his first three innings. Although he does not possess express pace, his greatest weapons are his seam and swing movement – expect big things from him in England this summer.
Ajinkya Rahane
When you have scored 19 first-class centuries and average 62 with the bat, you would normally expect to have many international Test matches under your belt. This is not the case for 24-year-old Ajinka Rahane who has not yet represented India in the longer form of the game, something he will be looking to put right in 2013. He first announced himself to the world stage in 2008 when he became only the 11th batsmen to score over 1000 runs in a Ranji trophy season. He has also made big runs in the Indian Premier League and was rewarded with his Twenty20 international debut against England in a Twenty20 international in 2011. He did not disappoint, hitting a fluent 61 against a strong opposition attack featuring Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann. With 19 limited overs caps for his country, this could be the year where Rahane breaks into the Test team – especially if friend and teammate Sachin Tendulkar retires as widely expected.
Ben Foakes
Another wicketkeeper-batsman to emerge from Essex, Ben Foakes got his county career off to a flying start with a fluent 93 against Leicestershire in May. Since representing England Under-19s from an early age, many people have predicted big things from the stylish right-hander. Towards the end of 2012, he top scored for England in the Under 19 World Cup and has been rewarded with a place in the England Lions squad for their trip to Australia in February. With the likes of Graham Gooch and Alec Stewart singing his praises, do not be surprised if Foakes has a long and distinguished career for club and country.
Georgia Elwiss
With Women’s cricket set to be bigger than ever in 2013 with the World Cup and Ashes to look forward to, many female players will also want to make an impact over the coming months. One player who could benefit from the global attention received for the Women’s game could be Georgia Elwiss. The young seam bowler from Wolverhampton made her debut for England in 2011 but has failed to nail down a regular spot in the team. However, good performances for the England Academy have resulted in a call up for the World Cup which will be her first taste of a global competition. With a good action and strong work ethic, 2013 could be the year that Elwiss becomes a household name.
Simon Dewhurst
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