A congenital back problem looked like it was going to ruin the career of Tymal Mills but the Brandon bowler has now earned a money-spinning deal which has got the whole cricket world talking.
The England international was at the centre of a bidding war at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction before eventually being signed for a huge £1.4million by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Having been forced to step away from the longer formats of the game by a back condition which causes the narrowing of his spinal column, a first IPL deal was a huge moment in the 24-year-old's life.
'Sat in a boardroom at Sussex two years ago and you definitely wouldn't have thought if you fast-forward two years that this would be where I'm at now,' said Mills, who plays domestically for Sussex.
'So I did have to pinch myself a bit but nothing is kind of real yet, so it's still a case of just enjoying it, enjoy the moment and hopefully more good things will come.'
The former Breckland Middle School pupil, who played for Mildenhall and Tuddenham as a youngster, is in Dubai playing for the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League.
That follows on from playing in Twenty20 tournaments in Bangladesh, Australia and New Zealand during the winter, as he continues his efforts to build a reputation as a T20 specialist, having been capped by England four times in the past year.
'I went for breakfast with Luke Wright after the news and he said my back injury has kind of ended up being the best thing that could have happened to me,' Mills continued, speaking to Sky Sports.
'It's kind of hard for other guys to stop playing other forms of cricket when they currently are because it means leaving their team or country. I was forced into the situation but I'm sure it won't be too long before you'll get younger guys specialising in playing T20.'
Only England vice-captain Ben Stokes attracted a bigger bid than Mills at the auction, due to the bowler – who bowls at speeds above 90mph – being available for all the competition, which runs between April 5 and May 21.
'I'm in Dubai at the moment so it was on TV on one of the many cricket channels,' he added. 'So I woke up and watched it – it was one of the more interesting TV shows I've watched in a while!'
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here