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For the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, it's one sub-continental player in their ranks at the behest of another as Pakistan's Imam-ul-Haq has been signed by the club as its overseas player in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad of India, who captains Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The technically-correct right-handed batter has withdrawn from the Yorkshire county citing personal reasons, which means that he will no longer be able to participate in the existing County Championship One Day Cup.
Prominent media platforms, including ESPNcricinfo, reported that the latest cricketer signed by the widely-known Yorkshie County Cricket Club is Pakistan's dashing top order bat, Imam-ul-Haq. The left-hander, it is confirmed, will not only be available for the rest of the county season, but also the one-day contests that'll follow.
Commenting on the latest development for Yorkshire, the club's boss Gavin Hamilton expressed his disappointment over Gaikwad's recent withdrawal, but was also glad about having someone of the proven international experience like Imam.
The Yorkshire team principal expressed his opinion about the recent development exclaiming, "Whilst we were naturally disappointed that Ruturaj couldn’t join up with the squad, in Imam we have an exceptional player of proven international quality."
Imam-ul-Haq will look perform well for Yorkshire to make a return to Pakistan side
Where it comes to the Division One Table, then Yorkshire find themselves eighth and hence, in a bit of a spot. But with the coming of Imam into the squad, the side will be expected to recover lost form and perform better.
Moreover, the new County stint will further help Imam-ul-Haq's own batting experience and charts. The noted left hander is already a scorer of 5400 plus first-class runs and 1568 Test runs, including three centuries. He will also look at the experience as a building ground to better prepare for the forthcoming series against the mighty Protea side, who are now the World Test Champions.
The brand new series under the latest WTC cycle will be a key test for the Pakistan side who will clash against a unit that is not only in form but has emerged right on top of its longstanding critics and doubters.
