Corey Anderson

Corey Anderson had always been known for his powerful striking, but he took it to a new level on New Year's Day 2014 when he set what was then the world record for the fastest ODI hundred with a 36-ball blitzkrieg against West Indies in Queenstown. It came at a time, a few months after he scored a century in his second Test, that Anderson was suggesting he was ready to fulfill the potential spotted in him as a teenager.

Anderson, who would not look out of place in the All Blacks' front row, became the youngest New Zealand player to gain a contract when, at 16, he was awarded the deal that Chris Harris declined. Anderson had already appeared for Canterbury the previous year and, within a year, he had played for New Zealand A, as well as in the State final. A left-arm pace bowler and middle-order batsman, Anderson played in the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia in 2008 and two years later again made the squad for the tournament, which was held at home in New Zealand.

Anderson made his first-class debut in 2007, but had to wait till 2012 for his maiden first-class century. It was a big hundred, though - 167 against Otago - and soon after that he was included in New Zealand's squad for the Twenty20 international series in South Africa. He didn't do much in that series, and was injured for the subsequent one-dayers - a continuation of fitness issues that have followed him through the early part of his career - but continued to score runs in the domestic season. In 2013, he was included in New Zealand's ODI squad for the Champions Trophy, and made his debut in that format against England in Cardiff.

A Test debut followed later in the year against Bangladesh and he scored a hundred in the second match of the series in Dhaka. Since then, he has established himself as a regular member of the New Zealand side in all three formats, and played a key role in their run to the ODI World Cup final in 2015. He made a strong case to be adjudged the allrounder of the tournament, scoring two half-centuries, including a 58 in the semi-final chase against South Africa, and picking up 14 wickets at 16.71.

In 2021, Anderson made a move to the USA and participated in the Major League Cricket competition subsequently. In 2024, he was selected in USA's T20 World Cup squad.
ESPNcricinfo staff