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William Boyd Rankin (born 5 July 1984) is a Northern Irish former cricketer who played international cricket for Ireland, and briefly also played for England. He is a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He is the brother of fellow cricketer David Rankin.
Born in Derry, Rankin is a tall bowler who stands at 6 ft 8 inches and has a distinctive bouncing action in his bowling. Rankin revealed in an interview that his action is modelled on bowlers like Curtly Ambrose and Glenn McGrath who "hit the deck from just back of a length outside off stump". Retrieved on 26 August 2008. He studied agriculture at Harper Adams University College in Shropshire, during which time he worked on his batting technique. Retrieved on 26 August 2008.
In August 2012, Rankin announced that he would cease playing for Ireland, with the hope of one day playing for the English team. He debuted for England against New Zealand in a T20 match on 25 June 2013, and later played one Test for England during the 2013-14 Ashes series in Australia.
With few prospects of a return to the England team, Rankin confirmed in December 2015 that he would commit to playing for Ireland in the upcoming 2016 ICC World Twenty20. He has subsequently represented Ireland in both 20 and 50-over formats. He was one of the eleven cricketers to play in Ireland's first ever Test cricket, against Pakistan, in May 2018.
In December 2018, he was one of nineteen players to be awarded a central contract by Cricket Ireland for the 2019 season. In January 2020, he was again awarded a central contract from Cricket Ireland, the first year in which all contracts were awarded on a full-time basis.
On 21 May 2021, Rankin announced his retirement from international and inter-provincial cricket.
Derbyshire renewed his contract for the 2007 English season, though his opportunities were limited due mainly to injury. Retrieved on 16 June 2007. He played just three first-class matches taking 10 wickets at an average of 29.20 with best figures of 4/41 which was against his old county, Middlesex; in that match he finished with his best first-class match figures of 8/121. Retrieved on 26 August 2008. Retrieved on 11 March 2008. He also played five one day matches taking 4 wickets at an average of 50.50 with best figures of 2/56. Retrieved on 11 March 2008.
Rankin jeopardised his season when in April 2008 he injured himself during fielding practice before a County Championship match against Worcestershire. He dived to stop a ball and landed awkwardly on his shoulder, suffering a SLAP tear to his right shoulder. He underwent an operation and was expected to be on the sidelines for about six months. Retrieved on 26 August 2008. After just four months, Rankin was back playing cricket. In August 2008, he made his debut for Warwickshire in a first-class match against Essex. He finished with figures of 4/80 in a drawn match as Warwickshire only bowled once. Retrieved on 26 August 2008. He finished the season with 12 first-class wickets for Warwickshire in five matches at an average of 30.16, Retrieved on 10 October 2008. and did not play any one-day matches for Warwickshire. Retrieved on 14 June 2009. Speaking in October 2008 about his first season with Warwickshire and being coached by Allan Donald, Rankin said "He Donald doesn't seek to make many technical changes during the season – that's more for the winter. It's more about the mental side of the game, how to work a batsman over, how to think more about the game, how to work batsmen out and take more wickets". Retrieved on 10 October 2008.
At the end of the 2008 season, Warwickshire secured promotion from the Second Division of the County Championship to the First. In 2009 Rankin impressed Ashley Giles, Warwickshire's director of cricket, with his bowling. Giles commented that "Rankin's got great attributes – he's tall, he can bowl fast, the ball bounces from nowhere ... We've just got to keep him fit". Retrieved on 14 June 2009. Having generally come on as first or second change bowler for Warwickshire in 2008, Retrieved on 14 June 2009.
· Retrieved on 14 June 2009.
· Retrieved on 14 June 2009.
· Retrieved on 14 June 2009.
· Retrieved on 14 June 2009. at the start of the 2009 season Rankin was entrusted with the new ball and opened the bowling with Chris Woakes. Retrieved on 14 June 2009.
· Retrieved on 14 June 2009.
Rankin had a successful World Cup in the Caribbean, and finished as Ireland's leading wicket taker of the tournament, with 12 wickets in his 9 matches at an average of 27 at a strike rate of 29.67. In Ireland's second game of the 2007 ICC World Cup, Rankin took 3/32 to bowl Pakistan out for 132 and win the match, causing a major upset. Ireland's victory against Pakistan ensured they progressed to the next round. A stress fracture of the fibula forced Rankin to miss ODIs against India and South Africa in 2007 which Ireland lost.
In August 2008, Rankin made his first appearance for Ireland since the 2007 World Cup. Retrieved on 26 August 2008. He played in the first two ODIs in the three match series against Kenya before returning to Warwickshire. In the first match Rankin took 2/26 as Ireland won by 33 runs, Retrieved on 26 August 2008. however he did not bowl in the second match which was rained off after Ireland had batted for eight overs. Retrieved on 26 August 2008. In October 2008, Rankin playing in the Intercontinental Cup against Namibia; finished with match figures of 7/72, with 5/39 in the second innings as Ireland secured an eight run win. In the match he recorded his maiden first-class five-wicket haul. Retrieved on 5 October 2008. In the tournament final against Namibia, Ireland won by nine wickets and Rankin finished with match figures of 6/107. Retrieved on 14 June 2009.
Rankin was part of the Ireland squad that took part in the tri-series against Kenya and Zimbabwe in October 2008. Ireland did not qualify for the final of the tournament because they had a lower run-rate than Kenya; Retrieved on 23 November 2008. Rankin played in both of Ireland's ODI and took two wickets at an average of 41.50. Retrieved on 14 June 2009. In April 2009, Rankin was part of the Ireland squad which won the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier. Retrieved on Rankin finished the tournament as Ireland's leading wicket-taker, with 15 wickets from 9 matches at an average of 20.40, and was the equal sixth highest wicket-taker for the 2009 tournament. Retrieved on 18 August 2009.
Although Rankin didn't play in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in August 2008 in which Ireland shared the title with the Netherlands, he was selected for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. He made his Twenty20 International debut on 8 June 2009. In Ireland's six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Ireland's opening match of the tournament, he took 1/36 from his four overs with Naeem Islam as his maiden wicket. The match was also Rankin's first competitive Twenty20 match. Retrieved on 11 June 2009. Rankin was one of seven Ireland players to be nominated for the 2009 Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year (there were fourteen nominees in all), although he did not make the 4-man short-list.
In January 2010, Rankin sustained a stress fracture to his right foot which forced him to miss Ireland's tour of Sri Lanka. He recovered from injury in time to be selected in Ireland's 15-man squad for the 2011 World Cup. On 16 August, Rankin represented the England Lions against Sri Lanka A. A side made up of some of the best players from Associate and Affiliate teams was put together to face England in Dubai in January 2012. The three-day match was part of England's preparation for a series against Pakistan later that month. Rankin was one of four Ireland players included in the 12-man squad.
In May 2018, he was named in a fourteen-man squad and also was included in playing XI for Ireland's first ever Test cricket, which was played against Pakistan and thus become the 15th cricketer in history to play test cricket for two countries. He made his Test debut for Ireland, against Pakistan, on 11 May 2018. Rankin took Ireland's first wicket in Tests, dismissing Pakistan's Azhar Ali, who was caught by William Porterfield at second slip.
In January 2019, he was named in Ireland's squad for their one-off Test against Afghanistan in India. In May 2019, in Ireland's last match of their ODI tri-series, Rankin took his 200th wicket in international cricket. A few days later, in the opening match against Afghanistan, Rankin took his 100th wicket in ODIs.
In July 2019, Rankin was named in Ireland's Test cricket squad for their one-off match against England at Lord's. He got two wickets bagging the wickets of Sam Curran caught by James McCollum and Stuart Broad caught by Gary Wilson as England slumped to 85 all out on the first day of the test match. As a result of playing for Ireland in the match, he became the first cricketer since Nawab of Pataudi in 1946 to play for and against England in a Test match.
In September 2019, he was named in Ireland's squad for the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament in the United Arab Emirates. In January 2020, in the first ODI match against the West Indies, Rankin played in his 150th international match for Ireland. On 10 July 2020, Rankin was named in Ireland's 21-man squad to travel to England to start training behind closed doors for the ODI series against the England cricket team.
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