Ex-captain and Worcestershire player Azhar Ali helped us secure the deal, says head coach Alan Richardson
\n WORCESTER
\nWorcestershire County Cricket Club has signed promising Pakistani seamer Khurram Shahzad in hope to change their fortunes in county championship, a move head coach Alan Richardson believes will not only strengthen the club\u2019s pace attack across all formats but also support the player\u2019s evolving international career.
\nWorcestershire are currently at bottom of the Division one table after 7 matches with a solitary victory, while in the T20 Blast they are at 5th spot in the North group but are hopeful that the recent signing of Pakistani seamer will help them to turn the tables around in the second half of the season.
\n\u201cWe needed a seamer who is going to play in all formats for us,\u201d said Richardson, explaining the rationale behind the signing while speaking to Geo News at New Road, Worcester home of Worcestershire CCC.
\n\u201cKhurram fits that really well in terms of the quality he brings on the pitch. Jacob Duffy\u2019s been with us in his half of the season, and then he leaves us to go on a tour in New Zealand, so it\u2019s a perfect opportunity.\u201d
\nThe 25-year-old pacer, who has already made a name for himself in Pakistan\u2019s domestic circuit and caught wider attention during the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
\nRichardson revealed that the club carried out a thorough vetting process before finalising the move. \u201cWe\u2019ve done our due diligence, watched quite a bit, and spoke to quite a few people,\u201d he said. \u201cHe seems to be a really good fit for us.\u201d
\nKhurram, who already boasts significant experience in Pakistan\u2019s first-class scene, is seen by Worcestershire as a bowler on the verge of making long lasting impact at the international level. With early Test exposure and a solid PSL season under his belt, the young quick is aiming to become a regular for Pakistan.
\nSo far he\u2019s played in 6 test matches for Pakistan claiming 20 wickets. In recently concluded 10th edition of PSL he was instrumental in helping his team Quetta Gladiators to make into the final where they lost to eventual winners Lahore Qalandars. Khurram played in 8 matches for the Gladiators and bagged 12 wickets.
\nBut it\u2019s his first class experience which helped the management at Worcester to secure the deal. In 59 first class games Khurram has 201 scalps to his name.
\n\u201cKhurram is 25 years old, but he\u2019s already played a lot of first-class cricket,\u201d Richardson pointed out. \u201cLast season and in the PSL, I thought he impressed. He\u2019s at the start of his international journey and he wants to play more Test matches and international cricket.\u201d
\nRichardson compared Khurram\u2019s arrival to that of New Zealand\u2019s Nathan Smith last year, who hadn\u2019t played international cricket when he joined Worcestershire but has since broken into the national setup.
\n\u201cIt\u2019d be really nice to help Khurram be part of that, and play a part in how his career evolves,\u201d said Richardson. \u201cWe\u2019re really excited to see him and to have him as part of the Worcestershire family.\u201d
\nKhurram\u2019s signing represents not just a key acquisition for the remainder of the season but also a continuation of Worcestershire\u2019s tradition of fostering overseas talent while maintaining strong ties with the cricketing community in Pakistan. In recent years leg spinner Usama Mir, fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain and former captain Azhar Ali also featured for Worcestershire across formats.
\nOne of the most influential voices behind the move was none other than Azhar Ali, the former Pakistan Test captain and Worcestershire\u2019s overseas star in 2022 and 2023.
\nRichardson described Azhar\u2019s recommendation as \u201cglowing\u201d and said his input was vital in assessing both Khurram\u2019s cricketing abilities and his character.
\n\u201cAzhar Ali, for me, is an absolute legend,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cWe were really lucky to have him with us for two years at the club, and we\u2019ve kept in close contact with him. He\u2019s always shown a real interest in how the club continues to progress.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen we were having a look at seamers and Khurram came on our radar, Azhar was the most obvious person to go to. We spoke to him about Khurram as a player and also as a person, and he was very glowing about him. You trust his opinion on people and players.\u201d
\nThe consultation was more than just transactional \u2014 it also reaffirmed the enduring relationship between the club and Azhar. \u201cIt was really nice to touch base with Azhar and for him to give us some advice on how we move forward,\u201d Richardson added.
\nKhurram, who already boasts significant experience in Pakistan\u2019s first-class scene, is seen by Worcestershire as a bowler on the cusp of making a long lasting impact at international level. With early Test exposure and a solid PSL season under his belt, the young quick is aiming to become a regular for Pakistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ex-captain and Worcestershire player Azhar Ali helped us secure the deal, says head coach Alan Richardson WORCESTER Worcestershire County Cricket Club has signed promising Pakistani seamer Khurram Shahzad in hope to change their fortunes in county championship, a move head coach Alan Richardson believes will not only strengthen the club\u2019s pace attack across all formats […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":485347,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-485318","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n