Ian Bell

Ian Bell's path to Test cricket has been carefully plotted ever since he made his debut for the England under-14 team.

And although he will still be a teenager until April, many observers agree that the day of his elevation to the senior side is not far off.

A successful tour of India with the under-19s last winter, which featured an innings of 109 in Bombay, was followed by his first-class debut for Warwickshire.

He's confident in his own ability but never arrogant - an awesome talent Michael Powell

Bell swept into first-team cricket like a seasoned pro, amassing 836 runs at an average of 64.30 with three centuries and two scores of 98.

He posseses "a maturity that you normally only find in players ten years his senior", according to county skipper Michael Powell.

The learning process continued with a spell at the England Academy and with the selectors now apparently willing to put their faith in youth, it is a case of 'when' and not 'if' for Bell.

Steve Kirby

Like Bell, Yorkshire's raw but promising fast bowler was part of the first intake at the England Academy, working with former Australian wicket-keeper Rod Marsh.

Kirby: Aims to prove he is no flash in the pan

His selection crowned an astonishing rise by a player who began last summer in Leicestershire league cricket with Kibworth.

Kirby's potential earned him a chance with Yorkshire and he did not waste it, taking 39 wickets in seven games to help the White Rose county win the Championship for the first time since 1968.

No respecter of reputations on the field, he has rubbed several opponents up the wrong way, including former England skipper Mike Atherton.

He now faces the challenge of maintaining his form through an entire season in 2002, but Yorkshire teammate Craig White has no doubts.

"I have seen a player I am sure will one day play for England," White told BBC Sport Online last June.

David Sales

If fate had not intervened in January last year, Northamptonshire's middle order batsman might already be an England Test player.

Sales: Hoping for a change of luck

Had he not damaged knee ligaments in a New Year's Day game of beach volleyball in the Caribbean, it might have been Sales and not Usman Afzaal walking out to bat against Australia at Edgbaston last July.

The 24-year-old was expected to miss the entire summer, but his rehabilitation was quicker than expected and he was able to make his comeback in four end of season one-day games.

He now has to put the physical and mental scars behind him and try to live up to the potential he first showed against Worcestershire in 1996 by becoming the youngest Englishman - 18 years 273 days - to score a double century on his Championship debut.

Sales is also the youngest triple centurion in county cricket following a score of 303 not out against Essex during the 1999 season.

Like Mike Gatting in build and approach, greater consistency appears to be all that he needs to make the step up from England A level to senior status.

Virender Sehwag

Were it not for the small matter of an innings of 105 in his debut appearance at Bloemfontein, Sehwag might like to forget the first few weeks of his Test career.

A one-match ban imposed on him for showing dissent during the second Test of India's tour to South Africa led to an international incident and put the subsequent home series against England in doubt.

Sehwag: Now looking to focus on playing the game

The crisis was averted when the Indian board agreed to leave Sehwag out of the team for the Mohali Test, but the selectors showed their confidence in his ability by changing a winning team in order to recall him for the two subsequent games.

An innings of 66 at Bangalore, including 13 fours, underlined the potential of the 23-year-old, whose style so closely resembles that of his idol, Sachin Tendulkar.

Coach John Wright believes Sehwag has work to do on his technique before moving up the order, and he will have an ideal opportunity to widen his experience in English conditions this summer.

Abdur Razzaq

Only just 22, Razzaq has already packed in 15 Tests and 89 one-day games for Pakistan - including a World Cup final appearance.

Razzaq: Rapidly maturing at international level

Seen as a natural heir to great all-rounders Imran Khan and Wasim Akram, it is no surprise therefore that Middlesex regarded it as a major coup when they persuaded him to join them for the 2002 county season.

"The prospect of playing at Lord's for such a county as Middlesex is a dream come true," was his view of the deal.

A wicket-taking seam bowler, who once took a hat-trick in a Test against Sri Lanka, he is also capable of batting anywhere in the top six.

After some years in the doldrums, Middlesex showed signs of a reawakening last season with a new young side, and they will be looking to Razzaq as they attempt to push for promotion to Division One of the County Championship.

It will be a big surprise if he lets them down.

Emily Drumm

In women's cricket, winning the World Cup is the ultimate achievement - and it is perhaps even sweeter if you do so on home soil.

Drumm: Leads the world champions

Drumm enjoyed the greatest day of her career last winter when she led the Clear White Ferns to a thrilling victory over defending champions Australia.

It was the first time New Zealand had lifted the trophy, and the challenge for Drumm now is to try and keep a new-look side at the top of the pile.

After a barren 2001 caused by the cancellation of a tour to India, she will have plenty of opportunity in the New Year, with a home and away one-day series against Australia, followed by a triangular competition in England, also involving India.

"I know that it was a good two years before I found my feet internationally," Drumm said in November. At 27, she is now at the peak of her powers as a stylish batsman.