Image Credit- AFP
In an attempt to
duplicate Shaheen Shah Afridi’s triumph for them last summer, Nottinghamshire
has signed left-arm seamers Ben Lister of New Zealand and Fazalhaq Farooqi of
Afghanistan for the T20 Blast group stages this season.
Lister, who has 13 limited-overs caps for his nation, is not expected to be
included in their World Cup preparations. Instead, he will play with Notts for
the first eight games of the Blast’s group stages this season before Farooqi
takes his position. After leading Afghanistan’s seam attack in the T20 World
Cup, Farooqi will play county cricket for the first time in his career, if he
receives a No-Objection Certificate from the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
In his 14 games for
Notts previous season, Shaheen claimed 22 wickets, four of which came in an
over during a loss to the Birmingham Bears. But because of a conflict with the
T20 World Cup, where he will represent Pakistan, he will be unavailable for the
Blast this summer, forcing Notts to look at two other options.
“Given the success Shaheen had with us last year, bringing in left-arm
seam options again made sense,” Peter Moores, Notts’ head coach, said in a
press release. “It creates a different set of challenges for batters. In
Ben and Fazalhaq, we have proven wicket-takers who can make an impact on the
game in crucial moments, which is what we are after.
“Ben is an
exciting talent who is establishing himself on the world stage after consistent
performances domestically. He’s made a difference in the teams he has played
for, and has the potential to do the same with us. Meanwhile, Fazalhaq is a
world-class player with experience on the franchise circuit and in
international cricket, with a proven ability to bowl at the death. His knowhow
under pressure will be important in our group stage run-in.”
Last year, Notts
placed fourth in the North Group and lost to eventual winners Somerset in the
quarterfinals. Following the departures of Jake Ball (Somerset) and Samit Patel
(Derbyshire), they will have a new look Blast squad this season. Steven Mullaney,
who has assumed a player-coach role, is anticipated to play a major role for
Notts Second XI.