Worcestershire rule out second overseas star signing (From Worcester News)

Worcestershire rule out second overseas star signing

4:40pm Sunday 27th December 2009 in

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WORCESTERSHIRE say that there is no spare cash to bring in a second overseas signing for the Friends Provident T20.

Rules for the new domestic Twenty20 competition state that counties are able to have two overseas players for the duration of the tournament.

With the likes of Middlesex signing former Australia star wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and targeting Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, while Glamorgan have captured Aussie quick Shaun Tait, counties are looking at bringing in high profile names for the T20.

Worcestershire have re-signed Australia opener Phil Jaques for the first-half of the 2010 campaign and he will feature in the majority of the T20 matches. The 30-year-old will then be replaced by Bangladesh vice-captain Shakib Al Hasan.

Al Hasan, who is ranked as the world’s leading one-day international all-rounder, is expected to join the County for the final few north section matches.

But New Road chief executive Mark Newton says that there is no spare cash in the budget to bring in another overseas player.

“At the moment, the budget is full so we will not be bringing in another overseas player for the Twenty20,” Newton said. “We will go with the squad that we have got.

“We spend our money from the ECB on cricket and that is what we have done.

“Of course, the tournament is still a long way off and things may change and, if they do, but that is a very big if, then perhaps we could bring in a second overseas player.”

The County were originally set to go through the 2010 campaign without any overseas players, but the high-profile departures of Steve Davies, Gareth Batty, Stephen Moore and Simon Jones have allowed director of cricket Steve Rhodes to look abroad.

However, the money can only stretch so far with the County almost certainly announcing a second annual loss in the space of three years next month.

With money so tight at New Road, Worcestershire are making sure that they do not spend beyond their means despite the lucrative prize fund on offer for winning the Twenty20 — not to mention a place in the money-spinning Champions League tournament.