Ajaz Patel joins Durham as substitute for Matt Kuhnemann
Ajaz Patel, the New Zealand left-arm spinner, has joined Durham as a substitute for Australia’s Matt Kuhnemann, who suffered a again harm whereas enjoying towards Glamorgan in April and has needed to pull out of his deal.
Patel, 34, will hyperlink up with the Durham squad forward of subsequent week’s Championship fixture towards Yorkshire and might be accessible for a most of seven first-class video games. He will take over the specialist spinner’s function from Lancashire’s Matt Parkinson, who was loaned to the membership final month on a two-week deal and featured of their innings victory over Derbyshire at Chester-le-Street.
A confirmed worldwide spinner with New Zealand, Patel has 48 Test wickets to his identify, together with a memorable haul of 10 for 119 towards India in 2021, when he grew to become the third bowler in Test historical past – after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble – to assert all ten wickets in an innings.
On his Test debut in 2018 he was named Player of the Match after selecting up 5 second-innings wickets in an exciting four-run win over Pakistan. His first-class report for Central Districts in New Zealand includes 314 wickets from 88 video games, with 22 five-fors and 4 10-wicket hauls.
Durham would be the third county for whom he has performed, after a stint with Yorkshire in 2019 and an extra outing for Glamorgan final summer season, the place he picked up 14 wickets in 4 appearances.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed county cricket every time I have had the opportunity to play and I am really excited and grateful to be joining Durham,” Patel stated. “I have heard a lot of great things about the club, can’t wait to get over there and get stuck in!”
Director of Cricket, Marcus North added: “We are excited to have secured the signing of another international spinner in Ajaz Patel. Ajaz is proven in international cricket with New Zealand and has performed successfully around the world.
“With the lack of Matt Kuhnemann, it was essential that we introduced in a spinner that can proceed to strengthen and stability our crimson ball facet, and with the addition of Ajaz this could allow us to proceed to be efficient in all circumstances.”