Fidel Edwards had an extraordinary international beginning, the kind that can either haunt or add lustre to a career. Spotted in the nets by Brian Lara, Edwards was called up for his Test debut after just one match for Barbados, and promptly took five wickets against Sri Lanka in Jamaica in June 2003.

He added five in his first overseas Test, and six in his first one-day international. With a round-arm action not unlike Jeff Thomson's, which has left him vulnerable to back strains, he is more of a protégé of his neighbour Corey Collymore than his half-brother Pedro Collins. He bowls fast, can swing the ball and get reverse swing, but insists that he doesn't go for out-and-out pace.