Liam Plunkett burst onto the international scene as a tearaway quick, who hustled the opposition for pace, with his almost mechanical, front-on action. After taking over the baton from Steve Harmison for Durham, Plunkett was handed his Test and ODI debuts on the tour of Pakistan in 2005. Plunkett’s lower-order batting talent also came to the fore during his half-century in only his second ODI against Pakistan, albeit in a losing cause. But his determination and calmness when the illustrious seniors failed caught the eye. Just when England believed that they had unearthed a fine all-rounder, Plunkett became too erratic and fell by the wayside