Paul Nixon

Paul Andrew Nixon is one of the biggest names in England's domestic circuit and one of the finest keeper-batsmen in England during his prime. But unfortunately, he couldn't cement his place on the National side for long due to inconsistent performances. 

In 1989, the Carlisle-born cricketer signed his first professional contract with Leicestershire and had never looked back. He spent 11 long years with the Foxes, was brilliant with the bat in hand, and was a handy gloves-man. 

Nixon was vital for his side's two County Championship victories in 1996 and 1998. His sixth-wicket stand of 284 with Phil Simmons at Durham in the County Championship triumph of 1996 still remains an all-time record.

In 2000, Nixon moved to Canterbury to play for Kent and became a key figure for his side as he led them to some fantastic victories, especially in the limited-overs format. However, in 2003, Geraint Jones' rise forced Kent to release the 51-year-old, who later returned to Leicestershire and decided to finish his career at his first home in Grace Road.

T20 cricket was best suited for Nixon as he brought in some effective shots like the reverse sweep and played it to good effect and saw his team lift the silverware three times (In 2004, 2006, and 2011) out of the five finals they played in. He was with the Delhi Giants for two seasons in the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Nixon was also selected for the 2007 edition of the ICC World Cup, where he amassed 193 runs at 38.6 and almost at run-a-ball, including some crucial innings coming in at number 7. In the tournament, he also contributed with 9 dismissals (7 catches and 2 stumpings).

Nixon ended his domestic career with 889 catches and 67 stumpings along with 14498 runs in the 311 First Class appearances and 7148 runs along with 421 catches and 99 stumpings from his 411 List A matches. In addition, he played 96 T20s and made 1487 runs by claiming 50 catches and 22 stumpings.

As of May 2022