Kent fans look set to get their first glimpse of the county’s exciting new overseas signing Yasir Shah when Sam Northeast’s title-chasing side welcome Durham to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence from Thursday.
Shah, who has 26 Test caps for Pakistan, is named in the squad to take on the second division’s basement outfit and will also be available for Kent’s vital trips to take on title rivals Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire later in June, as well as Northamptonshire’s visit to The County Ground, Beckenham between July 3 and 6.
The 31-year-old leg-spinner replaces South Africa paceman Wayne Parnell as Kent’s overseas option in the red-ball format and his signing will be perceived as a real mark of intent in the county’s tilt to win promotion to the top flight of the Specsavers County Championship.
The second fastest bowler of all-time to take 100 Test wickets – achieving the feat in just 17 matches – Shah is looking forward to his four-game stint in the Garden of England.
“I’m very happy to return to England and play county cricket for the first time,” said the world’s No1 ranked ICC Test bowler for 2016. “I’ve heard positive things about the county and hope to contribute to the team. I’ve enjoyed my previous visits to England and look forward to playing in front of the Kent supporters in Canterbury and Beckenham.”
Shah has proved to be the bowling nemesis of the West Indies in recent times, bagging 46 wickets in a brace of three-Test series and winning the player of the series awards in both. And, according to Matt Walker, Kent’s head coach, he will bring an air of mystery to Kent’s attack.
“Yasir is one of the finest spinners in the world and will add something different to our attack,” said Walker. “Taking 20 wickets consistently in red-ball cricket will be key to our promotion chances and a bowler of Yasir’s calibre will help to us achieve that and rotate our attack at a key period in the season.”
Shah, who will become the 7th Pakistan international to play for Kent following in the footsteps of; Asif Iqbal, Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Sami, Yasir Arafat, Shahid Afridi, and Wahab Riaz – the first four of whom enjoyed distinguished stints with the county.
Mitch Claydon, who is back in England after his spell of compassionate leave in Australia following a family bereavement, is named in the Kent squad, but James Harris, who fielded as Middlesex 12th man at Lord’s on Monday, has returned to his parent club.
Former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood leads a 14-man squad including Sunderland-born seamer Matthew Potts who could make his first class debut for Durham at the age of 18.
Kent squad: 23 Daniel Bell-Drummond, 58 Sean Dickson, 6 Joe Denly, 17 Sam Northeast, 9 Joe Weatherley, 3 Darren Stevens, 42 Will Gidman, 12 Adam Rouse, 26 Matt Coles, 8 Mitch Claydon, 86 Yasir Shah, 14 Matt Hunn.
Durham squad: 5 Paul Collingwood (c), 1 Keaton Jennings, 6 Stephen Cook, 14 Cameron Steel, 7 Graham Clark, 18 Michael Richardson, 17 Ryan Pringle, 23 Paul Coughlin, 90 Stuart Poynter (wk), 60 Barry McCarthy, Matthew Potts, 20 Gavin Main, 22 Chris Rushworth, 39 George Harding