Waite is over as all-rounder prepares to push on from his injury hell
MATTHEW Waite is hoping to put his injury nightmares behind him after signing a new contract with Yorkshire.
As reported in yesterday’s Examiner, the all-rounder put pen to paper on a one-year extension which will keep him at Emerald Headingley until the end of 2020.
The 24-year-old from Leeds had ankle surgery after missing the second half of 2017, and spent two months on the sidelines in the early stages of the 2018.
However, Yorkshire’s Young Player of the Year in 2016, ended this summer strongly in the Specsavers County Championship, playing three out of the last four matches.
“I’m over the moon to sign a new deal and hopefully I can push on from what I’ve done over the past couple of years,” he said.
“I’ve had a bit of a taste of first-team cricket and then seem to get injured, so hopefully I can stay fit for a full season and see what happens.
“It was a bad injury. I’ve had an ankle injury before and the physio knew what it was so I was quickly booked in for an operation.
“I managed to get over that problem but, unfortunately, I got another ankle injury this year and the physios weren’t sure exactly what it was themselves as they’d never seen it before. It was quite rare.
“Obviously, it kept me out for most of the summer, which was pretty tough, but thankfully those days are behind me now.
“I was born in Yorkshire and played all through the age-groups and it’s pleasing to actually represent the White Rose – an absolute privilege. It means a lot, especially with my family’s background, to play for Yorkshire. They’re all incredibly proud.”