Former Lancashire batsman Haseeb Hameed has joined Nottinghamshire on a two-year deal.
Hameed, who made three Test appearances for England in 2016, was released at the end of the 2019 season by Lancashire, with whom he had spent the entirety of his professional career.
The 22-year-old hit 1,1198 first-class runs in 2016, and his performances that season saw him rewarded with a Test call-up, with his debut coming away from home against India. He struck two half-centuries in the first three Tests of that series before a broken finger ruled him out of the final two games, and failed to rediscover that form when he returned for Lancashire.
Wisden Cricket Monthly editor-in-chief @Phil_Wisden examines the curious case of Haseeb Hameed, two and a half years ago Alastair Cook’s heir apparent, and now hanging on by his fingertips at Lancashire.https://t.co/i89sELtwNs
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 28, 2019
Hameed’s 522 first-class runs in the summer of 2017 came at an average of 26.10; in 2018 his 170 first-class runs came at an average of 9.44. While he scored his first County Championship century in nearly three years with a knock of 117 against Middlesex in 2019, Lancashire opted not to renew his contract upon the conclusion of the season.
“This is a new chapter in both my life and career and I’m full of excitement to start working with my new teammates and helping get Notts back up to Division 1 where they belong,” Hameed said. “I want to thank Lancashire for the support they’ve provided over the years and to my teammates, whom I’ve shared a dressing room with.”
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Haseeb Hameed, having struggled at Lancs, has signed for Nottinghamshire[/caption]
“There’s no doubting Haseeb’s talent,” said Notts head coach Peter Moores. “It doesn’t get much tougher than Test cricket in India and he proved over there, at a very young age, that he has all the skill, temperament and patience to succeed at the highest level.
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“He’s enjoyed some more difficult times since then, and that’s going to happen with young players, but the ones that are destined for great things bounce back and move their games on again. We believe that’s what’s going to happen with Haseeb and it’s great news for Notts that we can be the ones to benefit from that.”
