Arthur arrival 'imminent'

I am using that in the now-approved Quantuma manner, as noted by Derby County fans in recent weeks.

However, I understand that he is now due in the UK to start work shortly, held up only by the now regulation issues of Covid, international travel and work visas post-Brexit.

He will be wanting to get straight into it and meet the staff, though has some additions to make before too many supporters will have serious expectations. 

The acquisition of Shan Masood for the whole summer is a positive, as his record is good in all formats. However, the Dukes ball in April will be a different challenge and how quickly he comes to terms with it may determine how we do. 

There was positive news last week with Luis Reece likely to be available to bat from near the start of the season. That MIGHT sort our issue at number three, as he could slot in there, allowing Wayne Madsen to drop to four and Leus du Plooy to go in at five. He is unlikely to bowl until later season, so has a chance to consolidate a place in what, on paper, looks a decent top order.

There is, as yet, no replacement for Matt Critchley as lead spinner, nor one for Fynn Hudson-Prentice as a seam bowling all rounder. That top five has to find someone to replace the thousand scored by Critchley last year, though all are capable of doing it.

Which makes me think we may split the other overseas role between a seam bowler for early season and a spinner for the second half of the summer. 

South Africa may offer a source of the former, with bowlers keen for experience on English wickets ahead of their tour here from July.

Marco Jansen exploded onto the international scene this year and currently has 19 Test wickets at just 16 each, those in only three Tests against a strong Indian side. At 6'9 he looks a handful and at 21 years old has the world at his feet. I would expect Cricket South Africa to be keen to further his experience, which would likely be more use in England than in the IPL.

I think our seam bowling pretty solid, for all its relative inexperience. With Aitchison, Conners, Scrimshaw, Cohen, Potts and Melton in competition, there is the talent to bowl sides out. Something different would be handy, someone who can bat and bowl especially so. 

A half season might appeal to a few people, however, leaving the T20 and remaining matches to a spinner, or spin-bowling all-rounder.

I haven't yet seen anything in Mattie McKiernan or Alex Thomson to suggest they could win us matches on the last afternoon of a four-day match, though both were underbowled last year, so it probably isn't fair to pass judgement.

Mickey Arthur did say that he thought we were short of a slow left-arm bowler, of which there are a number in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who he will know well.

One such may be Mohammad Nawaz, a good enough batsman to be just south of 40 with his career batting average and a T20 strike rate of 123. Throw in over 400 all-format wickets and you have a solid player on the edge of the Pakistan national side but with 49 international appearances.

I suspect he will be under consideration, but the new Head of Cricket will be awash with contacts. 

He will also need another wicket-keeping option, unless we go with Brooke Guest alone and utilise the loan market should a replacement be required at any point. There are plenty of good wicket keepers around and that may be an option if we want to make the budget go that bit further..

Decisions, decisions...