Northamptonshire Re-sign Faheem Ashraf for 2020

Northamptonshire has re-signed Faheem Ashraf for the first half of 2020 season. He will play all three formats before Pakistan’s tour to England. The all-rounder had a productive season in year’s Vitality Blast, picking up 11 wickets in 11 games.

The 25-year-old will be hoping to make a come back in the Pakistan side soon after being dropped on the eve of the World Cup. His replacement, Wahab Riaz has impressed with the ball and on occasions with the bat too.

Northamptonshire Head coach David Ripley hoped that Faheem could prove effective on flat pitches.

“He’s a little bit different bowling wise to what we currently have, he’s got a little bit more pace, he’s a swing bowler and he’s got a batting average of 30 [in first-class cricket],” Ripley said. “I think the key element for Faheem is although we signed him for white-ball cricket this year it was pretty clear to see he could bat properly. He’s played Test match cricket for Pakistan so he’s a genuine three-formats cricketer.”

Faheem has turned out for Pakistan in four Tests, 23 ODIs and 26 T20Is.

“The fact he’s got the extra pace is key, we’ve got a very fine group of seam bowlers that got us into Division One and that’s not going to change,” Ripley said. “But when it’s a bit flatter and it’s the last two days of the game and that little bit of nip has gone out of the wicket, someone with a bit of pace and swing and bowling yorkers, then I can see him being a genuine threat when the wickets are flatter. What the seam bowlers in Pakistan tend to have to do is find a way to get people out when those wickets are very flat and pretty slow. That’s with swing, that’s with yorkers and bouncers, that’s with reverse swing.”