Mohammad Kaif

An elegant batsman who evokes memories of the young Azharuddin, Mohammad Kaif comes from the cricketing backwater of Uttar Pradesh. He first came to prominence with his performances for India's Under-19s: he captained the side, which also included Yuvraj Singh, Ajay Ratra and Reetinder Sodhi, that won the Youth World Cup of 2000. Kaif's assured strokeplay, and composure that belied his age, earned him a Test cap against South Africa when he was only 20. Though the selectors subsequently discarded him, stints at the Australian Cricket Academy and its Indian equivalent in Bangalore helped to iron out some of the kinks in his technique. Recalled to the one-day side during the 2001-2002 home season, he made an impact with some steady and purposeful batting. But it was during the 2002 NatWest series in England that he truly hit the high notes, culminating in a magnificent unbeaten 87 as India successfully chased 326 for victory in the final. A superb century followed - against Zimbabwe in the ICC Champions Trophy - but he struggled at times to kick on after that, having a fairly quiet World Cup. His first experience of the county circuit was also a mixed bag, some typically dynamic efforts interspersed by a string of low scores. An exceptional cover fielder with the ability to bowl offspin, he could be a fixture in the one-day squad for years to come.

Full name	Mohammad Kaif
Born	December 1, 1980, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
Major teams	India, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Uttar Pradesh
Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling Style	Right-arm offbreak

Career statistics
Test debut	India v South Africa at Bangalore - Mar 2-6, 2000
ODI debut	India v England at Kanpur - Jan 28, 2002
First-class span	1997/98 - 2005/06
List A span	1998/99 - 2005/06