Jos and Wasim back Lancashire new boy Khan
ZAHIR Khan has arrived at Lancashire with high praise from two Red Rose stars of past and present, and they will be hoping he can put Yorkshire in a spin at Emerald Headingley tonight.
The teenage Afghanistan spinner signed an overseas deal for the rest of the season earlier this week.
Khan, 19, claimed 2-19 in Tuesday’s Vitality Blast defeat to Durham and will aim for more of the same in the Roses clash against the Vikings tonight (7pm).
Lancashire have lost three of their last four North Group games to loosen their grip on a top-four finish and quarterfinal qualification.
“We need to take the positives,” said stand-in captain Dane Vilas. “In a lot of games, we’ve played really good cricket.
“Arguably against Durham, for 38 overs we were on top and played really well. There are good moments, and we’ve just got to get over the line.”
On Khan, Vilas continued: “The coaching staff chatted to Jos (Buttler) because they were together at Rajasthan in the IPL.
“I think through the contacts of Wasim Akram as well, they got an understanding of who he is. All the things we’ve seen and heard have been really good.
“I’ve watched him a little bit and batted once against him in the nets. He looks a very good prospect - exciting.
“He’s got all the tricks. The way he bowled was very promising. It’s really nice to see. Hopefully that’s something for the future for us.
“You look at the top T20 spinners in the world at the moment, and they’re all wrist spinners.
“To have a guy like him, and he’s a left-armer, it’s huge.
“He bowls at good pace. His stock ball’s a leggie, but he has a good googly and a top-spinner.”
Khan is the latest of an exciting crop of Afghanistan spinners taking T20 cricket by storm, following Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rehman, both of whom are playing in the Blast for Sussex and Hampshire.
“It’s scary what’s coming through over there, and it’s brilliant,” said Vilas. “It’s good for the game. It just shows the value of giving guys from a country like that opportunity. You’re going to find a couple of gems along the way.”
Khan has also signed to play Championship cricket as a replacement for Australian seamer Joe Mennie when he returns home in September.
Afghanistan have three T20 and three one-day internationals in Ireland later this month, meaning he won’t be available for Championship matches against Surrey at the Kia Oval and Worcestershire at Southport.
But he will be available for the last three games against Somerset at Taunton, Yorkshire at Headingley and Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.
To date, he has taken 34 wickets from seven first-class matches. “I think his stats are actually better in first-class than T20 cricket,” said Vilas.
The Lightning beat the Vikings by one run in a clash Vilas described as an ‘epic’ at Old Trafford last month.
Vilas added: “It’s steeped in history, with the battles between us obvious on twitter and all social media. Between the players, it’s huge.”