South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj joins Yorkshire on short-term deal
Yorkshire have announced the signing of South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj on a short-term deal with immediate effect.
The slow left-armer, rated amongst the top 10 Test spinners in the world, will link up with the White Rose outfit for their next three County Championship Division One fixtures and is available for the clash with Surrey at Scarborough, which begins on Sunday. He will also be available to face Essex and Somerset before the competition breaks for the T20 Blast.
Maharaj took 17 Test wickets during South Africa’s 2017 tour of England and is available as he is not part of the Proteas’ World Cup squad, having last played an ODI for his country in August 2018.
Yeshav Maharaj celebrates the wicket of Lewis Gregory
The 29-year-old had a brief stint with Roses rivals Lancashire last Summer and excelled for the club, taking 17 wickets at an average of 16.64, including a match 10-wicket haul in a tie with Somerset, the first match to end in a tie in the County Championship since 2003.
“I got the opportunity to play for Lancashire, and against Yorkshire, and developed a bit of a relationship with a few of the guys. I’m very, very happy and privileged to be coming back,” Maharaj explained to the club’s website.
“Yorkshire are a very tight-knit club, very well run, with lots of people turning up on the day of the game. They play a very good, exciting brand of cricket.”
“Everyone says spinners in the UK are a handful but take nothing away because there are some really skilled batters in the UK so it’s not as easy as people think it is. County cricket is a very good challenge.”
