Nasser Hussain
Born in Chennai to an Indian father and English mother, he became the first England captain of mixed English and Indian descent. This former Essex cricketer captained England in 45 Tests after taking over the reins from Alec Stewart at a time when English cricket had hit a low. He was known for his shrewd captaincy, man-management and, most importantly, ability to play mind games.
Monty Panesar
This English left-arm spinner hailing from Punjab became the first Sikh to play cricket for a nation other than India. A crowd-puller because of his patka and comical fielding, his looks are deceptive for he is an attacking bowler — and this aggression is noticed when he breaks into wild celebrations after claiming a wicket. In Tests, he spearheads England's spin attack and has been doing a good job filling the void left by Ashley Giles.
Mark Ramprakash
The Middlesex and Surrey cricketer of Anglo-Indian descent is a prolific batsman at the domestic level. His classical technique has made him a heavy-scorer in English county cricket and his talent is obvious from the fact that he got the chance to represent England at the age of 21. After failing to perform consistently at the international level, he has concentrated on doing his best in the county circuit. His temper tantrums in the dressing room have earned for him the nickname 'Bloodaxe'.
Vikram Solanki
Labelled a child prodigy when he started playing cricket, he was seen by many to be the answer to England's batting woes. Born in Udaipur, he subsequently moved with his family to England. A gifted batsman with wristy drives and flicks, he occasionally rolls his arm over and can also be a handy wicketkeeper. He has mostly been in and out of England's one-day side.
Ravi Bopara
The second Sikh, after Monty Panesar, to play for England, this Essex cricketer is a batsman, but fast improving as a medium-fast bowler and can pitch in as a fifth bowling option for England. He was a member of England's 2007 World Cup side and played a valuable knock against Sri Lanka. Former captain Nasser Hussain strongly believes in his batting skills.
Samit Patel
After making his ODI debut for England this year, the Nottinghamshire cricketer, who has his roots in Baroda, Gujarat, was part of the side that toured India recently for the ODI series. Though he wasn't impressive in this outing, he has the potential to carve out a good future. An orthodox left-arm spinner and a handy batsman down the order.
Ronnie Irani
He started as a promising all-rounder for England, playing three Tests before getting the axe. Subsequently, he established himself in the ODI format. Of Indian-Irani descent, he was regarded as a bowler with the ability to bowl the away-going delivery. Of Darren Gough and Dominic Cork mould, he played cameos with the bat when required.
Owais Shah
Lauded by some as the finest English batting talent in 20 years, he has proved his worth as a middle-order mainstay in England's ODI team. After tons of runs in county cricket and limited chances to play at the international level, this Karachi-born cricketer — stylish with those wristy drives — seems to have
finally settled down in the England team.
Sajid Mahmood
The lanky fast bowler of Pakistani origin made his mark as an English cricketer and a fiery quick bowler when he nearly broke the hand of his Lanchashire teammate Andrew Flintoff, such was his pace. Later on in his career, however, he was laid low by injuries. British boxer Amir Khan is his cousin.
Kabir Ali
Another English cricketer of Pakistani descent, he is a part-time model, but a competitive cricketer nonetheless. Discovered by the English selectors when they were looking for a young fast bowler after the loss in the 2002 Ashes, he has the ability to hit the deck from a short run-up and also swing the ball.