Rana in talks over Sussex return (From The Argus)

Rana in talks over Sussex return

1:30pm Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

Rana Naved is poised to return to Hove as Sussex line up their fourth overseas signing of the new season.

The 32-year-old, who was part of the Championship-winning team in 2006, is being lined up for the first six weeks of the campaign after compatriot Yasir Arafat was named in Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Cup squad, ruling him out until mid-May.

Coach Mark Robinson said: “I saw quite a lot of Rana during the winter and he seems to have got his old spark back. For us he ticks a lot of boxes and is obviously a strong candidate.”

Naved revealed he was in negotiations with Sussex after extending his contract with Tasmania for the Australian ‘Big Bash’ T20 on Monday.

It comes a week after he received a year-long ban and £16,000 fine by the Pakistan authorities investigating poor performances and infighting within the squad during their tour of Australia earlier this year. The ban effectively paved the way for Arafat’s return as bowling all-rounder.

Sussex have already recruited Dwayne Smith and Tillakaratne Dilshan for their defence of the Twenty20 Cup in June.

Meanwhile, former Yorkshire seamer Michael Chadwick gets a chance to impress after being named in the squad for the pre-season trip to Abu Dhabi today.

Chadwick, 20, has played regular second-team cricket for Yorkshire since 2006 and was on Sussex’s winter training camps in the Gulf.

The county will play a mixture of 20 and 40 overs games during the next ten days. Matt Prior, Luke Wright, Ed Joyce, Murray Goodwin and Corey Collymore are all absent giving youngsters the opportunity to stake their claims with the Championship opener against Glamorgan starting three weeks on Friday.

Sussex squad: Ragheb Aga, James Anyon, Will Beer, Ben Brown, Michael Chadwick, Joe Gatting, Andrew Hodd, Chad Keegan, James Kirtley, Chris Liddle, Matt Machan, Robin Martin-Jenkins, Chris Nash, Monty Panesar, Ollie Rayner, Michael Thornely, Luke Wells, Mike Yardy (captain).