James William Arthur Taylor, born on January 6, 1990, is an inspiring young talented cricketer from England. James, a classy right-handed batsman, also bowls right arm leg breaks. He is one of the tallest batsmen in cricket history.
Background
Taylor made the most of the chance he had since breaking into the Leicestershire first-class side in 2008. He is the first player to score over 1000 runs in a season.
Debut
In 2011, James made his One-Day International debut against Ireland, scoring a single run in a rain-affected match.
He made his Test debut against South Africa the next year. In the only innings he got to play, he scored 34 runs.
Rise
Taylor played admirably for England, making 90 runs in an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2014, which the visitors won with five wickets to spare. In the following game, he continued his hot streak, scoring a decisive 68 in a loss.
In the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup group match, he thrashed the Australians, scoring an unbeaten 98 that resulted in a controversial decision against his team. After Aleem Dar’s LBW ruling, which was later overturned, Taylor was run out by Glenn Maxwell. Taylor fell two runs short of his maiden ODI century after the ball was ruled a dead ball.
Low Points
Any brilliant game he played was preceded by a grim one. Over the span of his five-year career, he took a few poor hits. From disappointing results against South Africa and the 2015 Sri Lanka-India tri-series. Even then, he solidified his position.
Club Career
He played for Leicestershire for three years, from 2008 to 2011, before going on to Nottingham and a few games for Sussex. His outstanding performances in club cricket earned him an international call-up.
Retirement
He withdrew from cricket due to a severe heart disorder known as ARVC (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy). In April of 2016, he announced his retirement.
Following his retirement, he worked as an expert and columnist for BBC Radio.