Lancs get player at right time

PETER Moores believes Lancashire have got a player at the right time in his career in new signing Luke Wood.

The former Red Rose coach is now in charge of Nottinghamshire, the county all-rounder Wood opted to leave ahead of this summer.

Wood signed a three-year contract at Emirates Old Trafford last August, though the 24-year-old is yet to debut for his new county due to the lockdown.

Of the left-arm seamer and lefthanded batsman, Moores said: “It was disappointing to lose Luke – a local lad coming through.

“He’s a really nice lad who’s very committed and is a very good player.

“It’s always frustrating to lose an emerging player who’s just starting to come out of the period of inconsistency when they’re learning. So Lancashire have got a good player at a good time. Luke’s someone with a lot of pace and good skills and is a dangerous lower order batter. Yes, we were disappointed to lose him, but you can’t be upset with a player who believes a move is best for him.”

The path between Old Trafford and Trent Bridge and vice versa was a well-trodden one over the winter, with opening batsman Haseeb Hameed heading in the other direction.

But while Wood made the journey as a player on the up, Hameed went to the East Midlands, having been released by Lancashire following only one first-class century since playing three Test matches for England - at the age of 19 - in late 2016.

Moores said: “Haseeb is someone who wants to master his craft.

“He loves the game and loves batting, and we embrace that. We want to help him work through things and find a way. He’s had some tough years to go through after a really prolific spell but is now starting to get back to the things he does really well.”