Two years ago Alex Hales was loaned out to Worcestershire after being unable to secure a place in the Nottinghamshire side in the County Championship.
Now the opening batsman is established as Alastair Cook's partner in the England Test side after a fine series against Sri Lanka when he notched three 80 plus scores.
Hales scored 15 and 63 in that one four-day game for Worcestershire against Glamorgan before injuries at Notts led to an early recall to Trent Bridge.
This Saturday he will be back at New Road as part of the Notts Outlaws team in the Sky Sports televised clash with Worcestershire Rapids in the NatWest T20 Blast (2.30pm start).
Worcestershire paceman Jack Shantry recalls Hales brief sojourn with the County and is relishing coming up against him on Saturday as the table-topping Rapids seek to build on their fine start to the campaign.
He said: "It has been a meteoric rise. Alex was left out of the Championship side because Steven Mullaney was doing well and now he is doing fantastically well for England.
"Alex has done phenomenally well and fair play to him. Alex is a very good player, white ball, red ball, he is immensely talented.
"He has had to rein himself a bit in red ball cricket but he has done that now and I think he will have a long successful career for how long he wants to go on for.
"For us, it was a great signing. It was a bit of an abnormality that someone has good as Alex Hales was available via the loan system because Notts had such a strong batting line-up.
"He showed himself to be a great talent in county cricket and is now reproducing it for England."
Shantry added: "It is good for players that England players are available. You want to play against the best players there are and he is a dangerous player.
"You want to test yourself against the best so it will be a good challenge."
Hales will be up against his England team-mate in Moeen Ali who is also available for the Rapids fixture with Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground on Friday evening.
