I’ve spent most of my life
trying to get batters out.
Now I want to use those experiences to help other players get better.
I’m Keith Barker, a former Warwickshire and Hampshire all-rounder.
I played professional cricket across 18 seasons, taking 544 first-class wickets and scoring more than 5,500 first-class runs.
I also represented England Lions during my career and was part of Warwickshire sides that won the County Championship, T20, Clydesdale Bank 40 and Royal London One-Day Cup.
Before cricket, I was a professional footballer, having come through Blackburn Rovers and represented England at youth level.
I’ve been fortunate enough to spend most of my adult life in professional sport. And that’s shaped the way I coach.
My approach
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that there isn’t one way to bowl. I’ve played with and against some outstanding bowlers and very few of them looked exactly the same.
So when I first work with somebody, I’m not immediately looking for things to change. I’m trying to understand them.
- /What are they trying to do?
- /What do they do well?
- /What happens when things go wrong?
- /Are they getting enough reward for the effort they're putting in?
- /Can they repeat their action?
- /Can they execute under pressure?
From there, we can identify what actually needs attention. If I make a technical change with a bowler, I want there to be a clear reason behind it and an outcome we’re trying to improve.
Change for the sake of making an action look prettier doesn’t interest me. Making somebody a better bowler does.
More than technique
Fast bowling isn’t just an action.
It’s understanding batters.
It’s knowing when to attack and when to be patient.
It’s working out what the pitch is giving you.
It’s understanding fields, lengths and angles.
It’s being able to execute when you’re tired.
And it’s finding a way to compete when your best ball isn’t coming out.
Those are things you learn through playing.
My job as a coach is to combine that experience with modern coaching methods and help players find solutions that work for them.
Career timeline
- Football
Professional football
Before professional cricket, I came through the academy system at Blackburn Rovers, represented England at youth level and played professional football. That experience gave me an early understanding of what professional sport actually demands: competition, selection, setbacks, pressure and the standards required every day. Eventually, cricket became my path.
- 2008
Warwickshire
I joined Warwickshire in 2008 after making the decision to pursue cricket professionally. Birmingham became home and Warwickshire became a huge part of my life.
- 2009
Professional debut
I made my Warwickshire first-team debut in 2009, beginning what would become an 18-season professional cricket career as a left-arm fast bowler and left-handed all-rounder.
- 2010
Clydesdale Bank 40 champions
My first major trophy with Warwickshire, lifting the Clydesdale Bank 40 title at Lord's and beginning a successful period with the club.
- 2012
County champions
I won the County Championship with Warwickshire, taking 56 first-class wickets during the title-winning season.
- 2013
England Lions & county cap
I was selected for England Lions following my performances for Warwickshire, and was awarded my Warwickshire county cap the same year.
- 2014
T20 champions
Part of the Warwickshire side that won the T20 title at Edgbaston.
- 2016
Royal London One-Day Cup champions
Part of the Warwickshire side that beat Surrey in the final at Lord's, meaning I had won titles across the County Championship, T20 and two different one-day competitions.
- 2009-2018
Ten seasons with Warwickshire
Warwickshire was where I established myself in professional cricket, contributed with both bat and ball and achieved some of the most important milestones of my career.
- 2019
Hampshire
After ten seasons with Warwickshire I joined Hampshire. It became another massive part of my playing life and gave me some of my most enjoyable and successful years as a professional cricketer.
- 2021
Hampshire awards & career-best figures
Named Hampshire's Red Ball Bowler of the Year and Players' Player of the Year, in a season that included career-best first-class figures of 7 for 46.
- 2022
PCA County Championship Player of the Year
One of the strongest all-round seasons of my career: 52 wickets and 595 runs in the County Championship, and one of the proudest individual achievements of my career.
- 2023
Continued contribution with Hampshire
An experienced senior all-rounder managing workloads, preparing for long Championship campaigns and helping younger players within the squad.
- 2024
500 County Championship wickets
Passing 500 County Championship wickets reflected the consistency and longevity required to take wickets across more than a decade of professional county cricket.
- 2025
Final season with Hampshire
By this point I had more than 500 County Championship wickets, more than 5,500 first-class runs and extensive experience across red-ball and white-ball cricket.
- 2026
Return to Warwickshire
I returned to Warwickshire for the final season of my playing career and retired from professional cricket in August 2026 after 18 seasons in the professional game.
Cricket has given me an unbelievable amount. Coaching is my opportunity to pass some of it on.
Career achievements
Professional career
- 18 seasons of professional cricket
- 2009-2026
- Warwickshire and Hampshire
Career statistics
- 544 first-class wickets
- 5,500+ first-class runs
- 500+ County Championship wickets
Representative honours
- England Lions representative
- Warwickshire county cap
Team honours
- 2010 Clydesdale Bank 40 winner
- 2012 County Championship winner
- 2014 T20 winner
- 2016 Royal London One-Day Cup winner
Individual honours
- 2021 Hampshire Red Ball Bowler of the Year
- 2021 Hampshire Players' Player of the Year
- 2022 PCA County Championship Player of the Year
Career-best performance
- 7 for 46 in first-class cricket