Keith Barker

{{Infobox person

| name = Keith Barker

| image = Keith Barker.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Barker in 2022

| birth_name = Keith Hubert Douglas Barker

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|10|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Manchester, England

| nationality =

| occupation = Footballer, cricketer

| height =

| relatives = Keith Barker senior (father)

| module = {{Infobox cricketer|embed=yes

| country = England

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Left-arm medium

| club1 = Warwickshire

| year1 = {{nowrap|2009–2018}}

| clubnumber1 = 13

| club2 = Hampshire

| year2 = 2019–

| clubnumber2 = 13

| columns = 3

| column1 = FC

| matches1 = 167

| runs1 = 5,450

| bat avg1 = 28.53

| 100s/50s1 = 6/26

| top score1 = 125

| deliveries1 = 27,828

| wickets1 = 533

| bowl avg1 = 25.09

| fivefor1 = 23

| tenfor1 = 1

| best bowling1 = 7/46

| catches/stumpings1 = 40/–

| column2 = LA

| matches2 = 72

| runs2 = 639

| bat avg2 = 18.79

| 100s/50s2 = 0/1

| top score2 = 56

| deliveries2 = 2,870

| wickets2 = 86

| bowl avg2 = 31.17

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 4/33

| catches/stumpings2 = 15/–

| column3 = T20

| matches3 = 65

| runs3 = 383

| bat avg3 = 13.67

| 100s/50s3 = 0/0

| top score3 = 46

| deliveries3 = 1,206

| wickets3 = 69

| bowl avg3 = 23.01

| fivefor3 = 0

| tenfor3 = 0

| best bowling3 = 4/19

| catches/stumpings3 = 17/–

| date = 19 August

| year = 2024

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/354441.html ESPNcricinfo

}}

| module2 =

{{Infobox football biography

|embed=yes

| position = Striker

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Blackburn Rovers

| years1 = 2005–2007

| years2 = 2006

| years3 = 2007

| years4 = 2007

| years5 = 2008

| clubs1 = Blackburn Rovers

| clubs2 = → Cercle Brugge (loan)

| clubs3 = → Rochdale (loan)

| clubs4 = St Patrick's Athletic

| clubs5 = Northwich Victoria

| caps1 = 0

| caps2 = 0

| caps3 = 12

| caps4 = 7

| caps5 = 4

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = 3

| goals5 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2005

| nationalteam1 = England U19

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Keith Hubert Douglas Barker (born 21 October 1986) is an English first-class cricketer who plays for Hampshire. He is an all-rounder. He previously played professional football, where he was a striker. He came through the academy of Premier League club Blackburn Rovers, from whom he was loaned to Cercle Brugge and Rochdale. He subsequently had short spells at St Patrick's Athletic and Northwich Victoria before moving into cricket.

Early life and football

Barker was born in Manchester to Caribbean parents. His father Keith Barker, Sr. played cricket for British Guiana and came over to Britain to be overseas professional for Lancashire league side Enfield Cricket Club in 1965.{{ESPNcricinfo player entry |ID=354441|playername=Keith Barker [Junior] |accessdate=27 May 2015 |mode=cs2}}{{ESPNcricinfo player entry |ID=51320|playername=Keith Barker [Senior] |accessdate=27 May 2015 |mode=cs2}}{{cite news | url=http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/news/2190949.mourners_farewell_to_east_lancashire_cricket_legend_keith/ | title=Mourners farewell to cricket legend Keith Barker | work=Blackburn Citizen | date=11 April 2008 | accessdate=22 April 2009| publisher=Newsquest North West}} Barker's godfather is former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd.{{cite web|url=http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/domestic/second-xi/barker-handed-warks-chance,300369,EN.html |title=Barker handed Warks chance |publisher=ECB |date=28 May 2008 |accessdate=22 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014135744/http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/domestic/second-xi/barker-handed-warks-chance%2C300369%2CEN.html |archivedate=14 October 2008 }} Barker also played for Enfield and was offered a contract by Lancashire, but he decided to play football with Blackburn Rovers.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/counties/9226944/Keith-Barkers-rise-from-football-rags-at-Blackburn-Rovers-to-Edgbaston-riches-with-Warwickshire.html | title=Keith Barker's rise from football rags at Blackburn Rovers to Edgbaston riches with Warwickshire | work=The Telegraph | date=26 April 2012 | accessdate=27 May 2015 | author=Bolton, Paul}}

In the 2004–05 academy season, Barker scored 17 goals in 27 appearances, making him the under-18 top scorer, as Rovers won the national academy play-offs. He also scored four times in seven Premier Reserve League North appearances.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} In 2005–06 he scored 4 times in 11 appearances for the reserves,{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} before being loaned to Belgian feeder club Cercle Brugge in January 2006. He never appeared for their first team.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}}

On 31 August 2006 Barker joined League Two side Rochdale on a three-month loan.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rochdale/5303512.stm | title=Rochdale capture striker on loan | publisher=BBC | work=BBC Sport | date=31 August 2008 | accessdate=22 April 2009}} He made his professional debut two days later, playing the full 90 minutes in their 1–1 draw with Hereford United at Spotland.{{cite news|title=Rochdale 1-1 Hereford|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/5288486.stm|accessdate=30 May 2015|work=BBC Sport|date=2 September 2006}} He scored one goal for the club in 16 appearances, equalising in a Football League Trophy tie away to Crewe Alexandra on 31 October which finished 1–1, with the hosts winning in a penalty shootout.{{cite news|title=Rochdale 1-1 Crewe|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6094126.stm|accessdate=30 May 2015|work=BBC Sport|date=31 October 2006}}

Barker joined Irish club St Patrick's Athletic in the summer of 2007 after being released by Blackburn, though his five months there were mostly spent off with injury.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/37363776|title=Barker open to West Indies approach|work=BBC Sport}} On 3 January 2008 he joined Conference National side Northwich Victoria on a free transfer.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/northwich_victoria/7169632.stm | title=Three in for battling Northwich | publisher=BBC | work=BBC Sport | date=9 January 2008 | accessdate=22 April 2009}} He made four appearances for the club, all as a substitute.

=International career=

Barker made one appearance for England under 19s against Belgium on 9 February 2005 in a 1–1 draw.{{cite web | url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/MatchRsl/MatchRslTmU19pg1.html | title=England Matches - Under-19's 1991-2010 | work=England Football Online | accessdate=27 May 2015}}

Cricket

Barker continued to play for Enfield, where he was spotted by former England coach David Lloyd, whose son plays for Accrington. On Lloyd's recommendation he was watched by Warwickshire second team coach Keith Piper, and subsequently offered a trial.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/warwickshire/7423191.stm | title=Bears trial for footballer Barker | publisher=BBC | work=BBC Sport | date=28 May 2008 | accessdate=29 May 2008}} In August 2008 he was signed on a contract until 2010, after impressing in the second team.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/7551203.stm | title=Downpour frustrates Warwickshire | publisher=BBC | work=BBC Sport | date=9 August 2008 | accessdate=22 April 2008}}

On 19 April 2009 Barker made his List A debut for Warwickshire against Somerset at Edgbaston. Batting at number 8, he made 28 runs before being bowled by Peter Trego. He then took the wicket of James Hildreth, finishing with figures of 1-47 as Warwickshire lost by 8 wickets.{{cite news | url=http://content.cricinfo.com/england/engine/match/382830.html | title=Warwickshire v Somerset | work=ESPNcricinfo | date=19 April 2009 | accessdate=23 April 2009 | publisher=ESPN}} In 2012, he formed an unexpectedly potent opening attack with Chris Wright that played a key part in Warwickshire winning the County Championship with a game to spare.{{cite web | url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2012/content/story/581192.html | title=Warwickshire win Championship title | publisher=ESPN | work=ESPNcricinfo | date=6 September 2012 | accessdate=7 September 2012 | author=Dobell, George}} Barker is eligible for England and the West Indies, as his father was born in Barbados.{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/keith-barker-inflicts-more-misery-on-durham-as-he-strikes-first-with-bat-and-then-ball-10259451.html | title=Keith Barker inflicts more misery on Durham as he strikes first with bat and then ball | work=The Independent | date=18 May 2015 | accessdate=27 May 2015 | author=Culley, Jon | quote=he admitted he would happily play for West Indies, for whom he qualifies through his father, who represented British Guiana.}}

On 26 September 2018, Barker signed for Hampshire on a two-year deal from 2019 onwards,{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/45651902|title=Keith Barker: Hampshire sign Warwickshire fast bowler on two-year contract|date=2018-09-26|access-date=2019-09-14|language=en-GB}} taking 37 Championship wickets in his first season, before extending his contract further on 15 January 2020.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/51120450|title=Keith Barker: Hampshire all-rounder extends contract with county|date=2020-01-15|access-date=2020-01-15|language=en-GB}} In August 2020, in the opening round of fixtures in the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy, Barker took his 400th first-class wicket.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/53635423 |title=Bob Willis Trophy: Sussex seal three-day win over Hampshire at Hove |work=BBC Sport |accessdate=3 August 2020}}

Anti-doping suspension

In April 2025, it was revealed that Barker had been given a 12-month suspension for breaching England and Wales Cricket Board anti-doping rules. UK Anti-Doping said he had returned a positive urine test for the diuretic drug Indapamide leading to him being provisionally suspended in July 2024. At a hearing in March 2025, Barker admitted two charges but the panel which heard his case accepted he had been legitimately prescribed the medication by his doctor to treat high blood pressure and he was not informed it was on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited substance list. They also ruled he had "no intention to breach the anti-doping rules." Barker's ban was backdated to when his provisional suspension began and he is eligible to return to cricket from 4 July 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.wisden.com/series/county-championship-2025/cricket-news/veteran-hampshire-all-rounder-handed-12-month-doping-ban-after-administrative-error|title=Veteran Hampshire all-rounder handed 12-month doping ban after 'administrative error'|publisher=Wisden|accessdate=16 April 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c2lzx7g4l7ko|title=Barker to return in July after anti-doping violation|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=16 April 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/apr/16/cricket-keith-barker-hampshire-suspended-anti-doping|title=Hampshire’s Keith Barker cleared to return in July after failed drug test|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=16 April 2025}}

References

External links

{{Soccerbase}}
[http://www.clubfanzine.com/rochdale/showNews.php?id=851 Rochdale Ex-files: Keith Barker]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
[http://warwickshireccc.com/team/mens/keith-barker/ Player Profile] at Warwickshire County Cricket Club
[http://birminghambears.com/team/mens/keith-barker/ Player Profile] at Birmingham Bears

Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:Blackburn Rovers F.C. players

Category:Cercle Brugge K.S.V. players

Category:English men's footballers

Category:Rochdale A.F.C. players

Category:English Football League players

Category:League of Ireland players

Category:St Patrick's Athletic F.C. players

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium

Category:Expatriate men's association footballers in the Republic of Ireland

Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Belgium