Swann travels Down Under in the form of his life
  • Swann travels Down Under in the form of his life
  • Swann broke into first-class cricket in 1998 with Northamptonshire
  • He went on England's 1999/2000 tour of South Africa but played just a solitary international
  • A second chance with England finally came in 2007 and he quickly established himself as a fan favourite
  • The off-spinner claimed the Ashes-clinching wicket in 2009 - a feat he will be aiming to repeat

For so long it appeared Graeme Swann could be a one-cap wonder. Now the off-spinner is thekey cog in Andrew Strauss' four-man attack.

His international debut came in a one-day international against South Africa in Bloemfontein back in 2000. However, some of his antics off the field did not impress team management, resulting in him quickly slipping down the pecking order.

His career took a turn for the better when he swapped Northamptonshire for Nottinghamshire in 2005. In his first season at Trent Bridge he helped his new employers claim the County Championship.

Eventually the selectors decided to hand him a recall, with his chance again coming in one-day cricket nearly eight years after his first appearance.

This time he seized the opportunity and a Test cap soon followed on the tour of India in 2008 - he made an immediate impact, taking two wickets in his very first over.

Swann has never looked back since. He quickly estbalished himself as England's number one spinner, dethroning former Steelbacks team-mate Monty Panesar.

His record is phenomenal - 113 wickets in 23 Tests with a strike-rate of 54.1 - while he has become adept at dismissing left-handers and striking in the first over of each spell he bowls.

The fact he can chip in with some useful runs, nearly always made at a decent lick and with a flurry of attacking strokes, and is also a useful slip fielder makes Swann an all-round contributor to England's cause.