Elton Chigumbura Signs with Northamptonshire

[zimfan1]

Sehwag signing a real coup for Northants

Northamptonshire have demonstrated their commitment to improve on their encouraging progress last season by signing Indian batting star Virender Sehwag as their overseas player for the new Friends Provident Twenty20 competition.

Sehwag’s capture represents a major coup for Northamptonshire at a time when recruiting major players from India is becoming more difficult for counties because of the riches that are now available in the Indian Premier League.

Sehwag will again play for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL but he will link up with Northamptonshire in June for what will be only his second experience of county cricket.

He had a stint with Leicestershire in 2003 but Sehwag was still a rising star at that stage. Now he is one of India’s leading and most explosive batsmen with 76 Tests and 221 one-day internationals to his name. He also made the fastest triple-century in Test history against South Africa in Chennai two years ago.

Northamptonshire reached the Twenty20 Cup finals day for the first time last season and narrowly missed out on promotion in the County Championship and intend to improve further this year.

They are well advanced in negotiations with Zimbabwe all-rounder Elton Chigumbura, a middle-order batsman and seamer, to become their one permitted overseas player for the County Championship and 40-over League.

Chigumbura, currently involved in a one-day series in the West Indies, played six Tests before Zimbabwe’s exile from the five-day form of international cricket.

He has played 106 one-day internationals and eight Twenty20 internationals, having been fast-tracked into the senior side after he took four wickets in Zimbabwe’s sensational victory over Australia in the Under-19 World Cup two winters ago.

Northamptonshire have vacancies in their squad created by a tightening-up of work permit criteria which means that fast bowler Johan van der Wath and batsman Riki Wessels are no longer eligible to play county cricket as Kolpak players.

http://www.testmatchextra.com/Blogs.asp ... 789e37350b

[sloandog]

Brilliant !! That's fantastic news for the young man. I certainly wish him all the best.

[aydee]

Excellent news, this would be brilliant experience for him. My only worry is that he would get injured during such a long season, as he has had problems in the past...

[Horo]

great news he would come away a far better player for it should he sign

[morgieb]

Wow, interesting news. Pretty damn good development.

[bayhaus]

Good on you man and wish you the very best!!!

[maehara]

Confirmed: http://www.cricinfo.com/northamptonshir ... 52063.html

Elton Chigumbura, the Zimbabwean allrounder, has been signed as Northamptonshire's overseas player, and is expected to be available for the entirety of the upcoming season.

"We are pleased to confirm that Elton will be joining us for the 2010 season," said David Capel, Northants' head coach. "He is a talented young, athletic cricketer who has already played in over 100 ODIs for Zimbabwe."

Chigumbura was thrust into international cricket as an 18-year-old in 2004 in the midst of the disagreement between the Zimbabwe board and the 'rebel' players, and has since established himself as the side's only genuine allrounder. In 108 ODIs he has scored 2241 runs, with 13 half-centuries, and picked up 79 wickets at 35.97 with his fast-medium seamers.

"It is clear through watching him play against the West Indies recently, that he is an energetic, effervescent and enthusiastic cricketer, who is very keen to improve his game," added Capel. "I know that Elton sees this as a massive opportunity, and is looking forward to joining us as soon as possible."

[Lou]

Ive heard on the grapevine that this may yet fall through. Dont go quoting me as its only rumours at the mo but am told by reliable source possible problem with amount of time he's available in the season with international commitments.
Not sure how that one got overlooked but there you go.

[Mike]

Great news. I would like to see up and coming Zimbabwean players playing all sorts of club cricket around the world. England, Australia, India etc. The more experiance the better.

[zimfan1]

Ive heard on the grapevine that this may yet fall through. Dont go quoting me as its only rumourbwe fly out fors at the mo but am told by reliable source possible problem with amount of time he's available in the season with international commitments.
Not sure how that one got overlooked but there you go.

The Northampton Cheif Executive confirms in the radio interveiw attached to the BBC Sport link that Chigumbura will join Northampton before Zimbabwe fly out for the T20 world cup and then return for the rest of the season.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket ... 595294.stm