Date: 8th May 2012
A Paul Edwards copyright exclusive for L&DCC Official Website.
Loan deal to end of season
A Paul Edwards copyright exclusive for L&DCC Official Website
According to reports in a number of morning newspapers, including the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph, Lancashire are about to sign the former Yorkshire cricketer Ajmal Shahazad on a loan deal to the end of the season, with a view to making the move permanent.
The 26-year-old fast bowler was made available to other counties last week, after which Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves claimed that Shahazad was not a team player. Despite this less than glowing reference, a number of counties, including Somerset and Surrey, declared their interest, but the player's availability on a loan deal has allowed Lancashire to agree terms despite the financial constraints linked to the redevelopment of Old Trafford.
The player himself tweeted yesterday: "Great feeling to be back into cricket today! Appreciate Lancashire for having me on a loan agreement till the end of the season." For their part Lancashire have insisted that talks are ongoing with Shahzad but a deal has not yet been agreed.
Shahzad has played twelve one-day internationals and one Test for England. This latter game was against Bangladesh at Old Trafford in 2010, when he took four wickets and looked like a decent prospect at the highest level. Since then Shahzad's fortunes have declined somewhat and he was generally thought to be one of the Yorkshire squad who had underperfomed when the county was relegated from the First Division last September.
It now looks as though he will be joining a side who have lost three of their first four County Championship matches.
If Shahzad does join Lancashire he will become the first player to move west across the Pennines since David Byas in 2002. However, with Lancashire and Yorkshire in different divisions in the Championship this season, the sides are due to meet only in the Friends Life t20, with the first game at Headingley on 29 June.
Back to top
