An emerging talent from the Worcestershire Academy, Ed Barnard is seen as one of the biggest upcoming talents in the Worcestershire circle. A proper all-rounder, Barnard hails from a cricketing family. His father, Andrew Barnard, played a few List 'A' games for Shropshire while brother Michael played a lone first-class game for Shropshire.
It's fair to say that the youngest Barnard is the most talented cricketer in the family. A right-handed bat who also bowls right-arm fast-medium, Barnard first created ripples in the Under-19 circuit - featuring in England's 2014 World Cup campaign. Heavily backed by the Worcestershire management, Barnard proved his ability during the 2016 season, but it was in the following season that he really blossomed as a cricketer.
With 47 wickets and a batting average of 36.25, Barnard had truly arrived on the scene. With England looking for an ideal bowling all-rounder, Barnard, who signed a three-year deal with Worcestershire, will need to keep repeating 2017 if he yearns to earn an England call-up.
