Rana Naved-ul-Hasan Pens Derbyshire Deal

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan Pens Derbyshire Deal

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan bowls during a previous county stint with Yorkshire.

©Action Images / Paul Childs

Derbyshire have completed their allocation of overseas players for 2012 by signing Twenty20 specialist Rana Naved-ul-Hasan to partner Usman Khawaja in the Friends Life t20 competition.

The 33 year-old Pakistani fast-bowler has racked up an impressive amount of Twenty20 wickets over the course of his career, most recently for the Hobart Hurricanes in Australia’s Big Bash League, where he ended the inaugural event as the leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets at 17 apiece from eight matches. He has just begun a stint with the Dhaka Gladiators in the Bangladesh Premier League.

In the past, he has also represented county sides Sussex and Yorkshire, as well as playing for his national team in nine Test matches, 74 One-Day Internationals, and four Twenty20 Internationals. Overall his Twenty20 stats make for exceptional reading, with a batting average of 21.08 and a bowling average of 19.42 from 81 matches.

He owes most of his success to his skilful bowling at the end of the innings, where, despite not possessing extreme pace, he is able to deliver a mixture of yorkers and slower balls with maximum effect.

The county’s head coach, Karl Krikken, summed up the attributes of the fast-bowling all-rounder, saying, “We are delighted to secure the services of Rana who is a world-class bowler with vast experience and immense quality, as well as possessing tremendous striking ability with the bat. We wanted our second overseas player for the Friends Life t20 competition to be a game-changer and a match-winner.

“Our talented, young bowling contingent will also benefit immensely from the experience and know-how Rana will bring to the team, particularly with regards the tricks of the trade when it comes to bowling at the death.”

Chairman Chris Grant added, “Rana has proved to be a charismatic character and an inspirational performer in Twenty20 cricket around the world, as well as boasting exceptional pedigree at one-day international level with Pakistan.

“Not only do I expect him to help us win matches, he is also a very entertaining player to watch. His skills and larger than life personality have added an extra dimension to Twenty20 nights in Hobart of late and I’m sure that will be replicated at the County Ground this summer.”

Derbyshire are understood to have fought off competition from several other counties for Naved-ul-Hasan’s signature – something which Grant called a “massive coup for the club” – and have confirmed that he will also be available for LV= County Championship and Clydesdale Bank 40 duty should their main overseas player, Usman Khawaja, be called away on international duty with Australia A.

© Cricket World 2012