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Sussex Cricket has announced that Indian top-order batter Cheteshwar Pujara will be their men’s senior team’s interim captain. Pujara will lead the team at Lord’s Stadium as Sussex is set to go head to head against Middlesex. The Rajkot-born will replace Tom Haines who is set to miss at least 5-6 weeks of cricket due to broken hand.
Addressing Cheteshwar Pujara’s selection as captain, Head Coach Ian Salisbury talked about how Pujara has been a ‘natural leader’ and has a lot of experience. He said, “Puj was very keen to step up in the absence of Tom, he sees the potential in this side and has been a natural leader ever since he joined. “
“Finny did a brilliant job for us after Tom was injured and will remain the senior figure among our bowlers. By having a batter take up the role, it means Finn can focus on leading our attack. Puj is a vastly experienced and quality person who I know will do a fantastic job,” Salisbury continued.
The oldest county in England also has other injuries as Henry Crocombe and Jamie Atkins are out because of shoulder injuries. Meanwhile, George Garton, Jack Carson, Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer are also unavailable as they continue their rehabilitation programmes.
Salisbury addressed how the squad is excited about playing at the iconic Lord's. He also mentioned Aristides Karvelas and Bradley Currie, who have been with the team on a month-long trial. The coach said, “It’s always special to play at Lord's, everyone is looking forward to the game, it’s another opportunity for us to step forward and show more improvement. We have been outstanding with the bat, and I am really happy with the way our top 6 is shaping up.
“We will need to improve on the bowling side of things to get a result, and I am confident we can do that. Aristides Karvelas and Bradley Currie come in on trial for a month, they have really impressed when playing for our second team, they will provide extra options in our bowling department.”
Sussex squad against Middlesex:
Cheteshwar Pujara, Tom Alsop, Oli Carter, Tom Clark, James Coles, Bradley Currie, Steven Finn, Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Sean Hunt, Dan Ibrahim, Aristides Karvelas, Archie Lenham, Ali Orr, Delray Rawlins.