Liam Dawson wasn’t supposed to be here. Not really. Not after eight years away from Test cricket, not after quietly shelving red-ball dreams to focus on domestic and T20 franchise work.
But on a cloudy morning at Old Trafford, the left-arm spinner walked out in an England Test shirt once more — and looked like he never left.
At 34, Dawson’s recall against the West Indies marked one of the most understated yet feel-good comebacks in recent memory.
What he brought to the game?
A wicket in his very first over — trapping Kraigg Brathwaite LBW with a ball that drifted and dipped perfectly.
For many, an eight-year gap might suggest a career winding down., but Dawson’s path was never defined by flash or hype. Instead, he’s made a habit of showing up, improving year after year, and delivering for Hampshire with both bat and ball.
That quiet consistency earned him back-to-back PCA County Championship Player of the Year awards in 2023 and 2024 — a feat that finally pushed him back onto England’s red-ball radar.
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His county coach, Adi Birrell, calls him “hardworking, adaptable, and mentally sharp — a player who has thrived quietly through consistency.”
That quiet persistence was on full display at Old Trafford — a calm figure amid the chaos.
Now, after proving his value with the ball and offering depth with the bat, the question shifts to the future. Could this be more than a one-off nod to service and steadiness?
England’s spin options remain fluid, and Dawson, with his control and composure, might just have timed his return perfectly.
Either way, his story reads like a sporting fable: eight years in the wilderness, a player who never gave up — and a comeback that proves patience and purpose still have a place in modern cricket.