Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Roman Walker made his first-team debut for Glamorgan in 2019
ByJoseph ChapmanBBC Sport, West Midlands- Published1 hour ago
A former county cricketer who once took the wickets of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has discovered a newfound sporting talent after leaving first-class cricket behind - on the darts oche.
Roman Walker, who played for Glamorgan and Leicestershire in a six-year professional career, left the Foxes at the end of his contract in 2025 and has since realised he has transferable skills which make him a very capable darts player.
The pace bowler, who still plays minor counties cricket for Shropshire, claimed 53 wickets across all formats during his professional career, including 24 in the T20 Blast at an average of just 24.
He is perhaps best remembered, however, for figures of 5-24 for Leicestershire against India in a tour match, which included the wickets of former captains Kohli and Sharma and also talented all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
After leaving Leicestershire, Walker admitted that it took some time to adjust to being out of the professional game, but there was a liberation which came with life on the other side.
"Through the experiences you have in professional cricket, when you are not necessarily in the first-team every week, it is a really tough place to be," Walker told BBC Radio Shropshire.
"I fell off the wrong side of it and didn't renew my contract, which I can swallow because it's all part of the game and professional sport.
"There is an element of you, though, that goes 'I don't need that stress!' You go into normal life and you realise you can lead your own life, which is a freedom I've not had ever, because I went straight from school into professional cricket.
"On the flip side, if somebody came knocking then I wouldn't be able to say no - it's really a knife-edge."
Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Wrexham fan Walker attended their game against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium in September
Originally from Wrexham, Walker has remained in Leicestershire and has joined the local Central England Darts League.
"I absolutely love it," he said. "There are small advantages you can take, in terms of the mental game, from cricket into darts.
"It's very interchangeable, which has automatically given me a step up on some of the other players I play against on a Monday night in the CEDL.
"I am really enjoying it and I don't think I've met a bad person who I've played against, or with on a team. It has opened my eyes to the freedom of life and what else is out there."
As you might expect from somebody who has spent a substantial period of time in elite sport, Walker - who is still only 25 - has set himself some challenging goals, which include earning a PDC Tour card within the next decade.
"We all start somewhere, but I'm getting there," Walker added. "I got myself into a finals qualifier for the UK Open, so in theory I was only three games away from qualifying and going down to Minehead.
"I had a really good run in the first week, but everybody else at the finals qualifier were probably 15-20 points above my average so there was no chance!
"I've always loved watching it but never really played it. It's a hand-eye sort of thing and I do back myself.
"We had a dart board in the cricket club for my last season and I enjoyed throwing darts there, so I thought why not? I went down to my local social club, joined the Monday night league and it's gone from there. I'm getting better day by day."
