Josh Baker, the English spin bowler who played for county club Worcestershire, has died at the age of 20. The spinner made his first-class debut for the club in 2021, playing 47 matches across all formats and picking up 70 wickets. The tragedy left the English cricket world stunned. Worcestershire has not revealed how Mr Baker died.
Worcestershire paid tribute to Mr Baker in a statement published on its official website. “Josh became a professional player for the club in 2021 and quickly became a popular figure within the team.More than his skills as a spin bowler, his vibrant spirit and contagious enthusiasm endeared him to everyone he met. “His warmth, kindness and professionalism were outstanding and he was a true credit to his family and beloved members of our team,” the statement said.
Former England spinner and current club chief executive Ashley Giles said everyone at Worcestershire was “devastated” by the news.
“Josh was more than a teammate. He was an integral part of our cricket family.
“We will all miss him very much. All our love and prayers go out to Josh's family and friends.”
Baker featured in County's second match earlier this week and also picked up three wickets on the third day against Somerset.
Who is Josh Baker?
Baker, originally from Redditch, came through Worcestershire's youth set-up and showed his talent early on, going on to represent England at Under-19 level. Baker signed his first professional contract with the club in 2021 and was instrumental in Worcestershire's promotion from Championship Division Two, playing a central role in both red-ball and white-ball formats.
With 43 wickets in 22 first-class matches and 27 wickets in 25 white-ball appearances, Baker showed his versatility as an up-and-coming spinner. He was also good with the bat. Baker made his mark over half a century, scoring a career-best 75 points against Gloucestershire in July 2023.
Remarkably, Baker also bowled to Ben Stokes in the 2022 match against Durham, when the England all-rounder was newly appointed Test team captain. Mr. Baker was on vacation. After conceding 34 runs in his first over, he received a WhatsApp message from Stokes urging him not to get mired in a disappointing result.
“You have great potential, [I] I think I can go far,” Stokes wrote.
“The most important opinion is from the players in the dressing room, who will always support you. This is from someone who suffered badly in the T20 World Cup final.”
Worcestershire has announced that it will pay tribute to Mr Baker in the coming days.
“Plans for paying tribute to Josh have been made in consultation with his family and will remain private at this time. The Club joins Josh's family in mourning this immense loss and asks that their privacy be respected. “We will not be making any further comment at this sensitive time,” the club said.
Stay updated with latest cricket news, IPL live scores, India T20 World Cup team press conference live, SRH vs RR live scores and get exclusive insights on today's IPL matches, IPL points table match highlights and more please. Check out the comprehensive cricket schedule on Hindustan Times's website and app, track the IPL 2024 Purple Cap and IPL Orange His Cap races, check out Virat his Kohli's performance, Get all the latest cricket related information.