Middlesex sign Maharaj for Champs, Blast stint
MIDDLESEX Cricket signed South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj on Monday for the first four months of the 2023 season.
Maharaj is their second overseas signing, along with fellow countryman Pieter Malan.
The 33-year-old left-arm spinner will miss the opening two County Championship matches of Middlesex’s return to Division One. However, he will then be available to play in the next eight four-day red-ball games and is available for the duration of the Vitality Blast competition.
Maharaj made his international debut in 2016 and has since played 100 times for South Africa, making 48 Test appearances and 52 appearances in both white-ball formats, taking 206 international wickets in that time.
In first-class cricket, he has taken 563 wickets in all, with a best bowling return of 9/129, and in the T20 format he has picked up 109 wickets with best figures of 4/19.
He joins Middlesex after previous stints in English cricket at Lancashire (2018) and Yorkshire (2019).
“We are delighted that Keshav has signed for Middlesex this season and are really excited to have someone of his calibre and experience joining us for the first four months of the season,” Middlesex’s Director of Cricket, Alan Coleman, said in a statement from the team based at Lord’s.
“Two hard-fought games against Nottinghamshire last season, who came up from Division Two with us, showed us just what we’ll be facing week-in, week-out this coming season, so we felt that it was essential that we brought in someone of world-class talent, with the quality of Keshav, to enable us to handle better the challenges that top-flight cricket will bring,” he added.
“The young spinners we have in our squad will benefit enormously from having Keshav with us this year, and working with him and our consultant coach Ian Salisbury will play an important part in their own development as they learn from those with enormous experience in the game.
“Their long-term development remains a priority for us at Middlesex as we look to build a squad that can challenge for years to come,” Coleman added.
Maharaj said in a statement: “I’m really excited to be linking up with such a professional and experienced county and am looking forward to wearing the Middlesex colours and calling the Home of Cricket my home.
“I hope I can contribute to the team’s success across the various formats and am excited to form part of the Middlesex family.”