INDIAN allrounder Khatib Syed Shahabuddin will be Colwyn Bay Cricket Club’s overseas player for the new Liverpool Competition season.
Bay, who were relegated from the Premier Division at the end of a disappointing 2012 season, will be hoping the seasoned professional, who has 76 first class matches under his belt, will help them bounce back at the first attempt
The 33-year-old Shahabuddin – known as Shobby – who plays his first class cricket for Andhra Pradesh, has a couple of first class tons to his name while scoring more than 2,500 runs at an average just under 25.
The right-arm fast medium opening bowler also has almost 250 first class wickets at an average of 26.7 while his one-day stats include 60 matches with almost 1,000 runs and 73 wickets at a healthy economy rate.
Shahabuddin, who has also played for Hyderabad Heroes and Mumbai Indians, is due to arrive in the Bay during early May and, as he has a Level 2 coaching certificate, he will be expected to help out with coaching at all levels of the club.
Bay start nets at Rydal School on Friday evening and skipper Paul Jenkins is expecting to have many of last year’s squad available for what is bound to be a crucial year for the club.
Jenkins said: “We have lost one or two players but I am confident that we will have a good squad to pick from when the season starts.”
Two players who won’t be in the Bay first eleven this year are promising young batsman Jordan Evans who will be staying in the Premier Division by joining Firwood Bootle after scoring almost 600 league runs for the Bay last season.
Wicketkeeper and former skipper Graeme Jones will also be playing for Bootle next season, six years after leaving that club to join the Bay.
Bay start their 2013 campaign away at Birkenhead Park on Saturday, April 13, in the Bridging Finance Trophy Group 2 and have their first home game the following weekend against Wavertree.
The club’s first Division One fixture is away at Orrell Red Triangle on Saturday, May 4.
source: http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk / Home> Sports> Cricket / by Andrew Martin / February 20th, 2013
That’s a heck of a signing for a side that isn’t even in their premier division. Whilst he may never of played an IPL match it is still impressive to have a contracted IPL player as your overseas pro!