This one flew under the radar, as the player is not especially well known in this country, even though his speciality is the game's short forms. When I was running through bowling possibilities - and a death bowler always seemed the likely choice - he was not someone I really considered as an option.
He was unsold in this year's IPL auction, however and such players are generally more keen to look elsewhere for experience and a contract. It will be the player's first experience of the English domestic game, and one should never underestimate novelty value.
The big plus for Derbyshire is that he will be available for the entire tournament, which is important when so many players, in a horribly congested summer, will have IPL, World Cup and Caribbean Premier League commitments. The pool of available players is thus substantially reduced and Dave Houghton and Dominic Cork have done well to land a player of proven ability in such circumstances.
I have watched him over several seasons in the Big Bash and the IPL. He is a very solid, aggressive and now experienced bowler, that being proven by being top of the averages in this year's Australian competition. He is not express in pace, but quick enough to keep batsmen on their toes and possessing the variations that are required for success. He hits the yorker well too and as long as he finds the 'English length' quicker than Nathan Rimmington did a year or two back, he will do just fine.
He's not going to offer much with the bat, but at 28 he is a good, solid, professional cricketer, one who I suspect will fit in with the dressing room this year. He and Logan van Beek will make up a solid opening pair of bowlers in the competition, if not as high profile or eye-catching as Wahab Riaz and Lockie Ferguson last year.
Richardson's fine domestic form saw him recalled to the Australian national squad and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he may play in the World Cup ahead of his stint with Derbyshire.
For now, here's a look at him in action in the BBL.
Enjoy - and welcome to Derbyshire, Kane!
Good news. It echos something I was saying in a thread below. I would rather a player a notch below the world class likes of Wahab if they are available for the whole competition. So that’s a tick for me. Welcome Kane. Go well.
ReplyDeletePersonally I'd have preferred a batsman as I think thy have a greater impact in T20 but KR has wide experience in Big Bash and IPL. Agree his availability throughout the competition is a big plus. Do we think that MacLeod might be re-signed?
ReplyDeleteMacLeod would be a Cork decision. He knows what he can do. Was that one innings enough? Might Tom Wood be deserving of a chance? All discussions DH and DC will be having..
ReplyDeleteOn balance think you are right PF; for the longer term development of the club Wood should have a chance, as should McKiernan and Dal.
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