Yorkshire test Rana

15 November 2007

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan

Yorkshire’s new Pakistan fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan will undergo a series of tests on his injured shoulder that will determine whether he can fulfil his contract for 2008.

Rana has signed two-year deal but Yorkshire have inserted a get-out clause stipulating that he must prove his fitness after sustained a dislocated right shoulder in a collision with a billboard while playing for Sussex last season - which required an operation.

The seamer claimed 139 first-class wickets at 22.41 and won back-to-back LV County Championships in his three years with Sussex and has recently started to run again following the surgery.

Yorkshire have contingency plans should Rana fail to prove his fitness, but if he does break down there are no plans to sign anyone else.

Yorkshire are not involved in the first round of the LV Championship programme and they begin their four-day campaign with successive home matches against Hampshire and Nottinghamshire.

Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon is travelling to India for a month next week on the England England Performance Programme, as batting coach, for the 17 highly-rated players including Yorkshire pair Adil Rashid and Tim Bresnan and Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara.