Haseeb Hameed signs for Nottinghamshire on two-year deal

Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club have secured the signing of former England Test opener Haseeb Hameed on a two-year deal.

The 22-year-old promising prospect scored two half-centuries in his three Test appearances as a teenager on tour in India in 2016, but has badly struggled for form since, seeing him released by home county Lancashire at the end of the 2019 season.

Hameed became the fifth-youngest batsman to score 1,000 first-class runs in a season in 2016, averaging 49.91 for the year, with seven fifties and four hundreds.

The opener lifted Lancashire's Player of the Season award that summer and was rewarded with a maiden England call-up, impressing with scores of 82 and 59 not out over his six innings in India.

But, a broken finger cut short Hameed's tour and he has subsequently struggled with the bat; he has scored just one hundred (this summer) over the past three seasons for Lancashire, with the 2018 season, in particular, a low point as he returned only 170 runs from 18 first-class innings.

Nottinghamshire, who were relegated to Division Two of the County Championship after going winless in 2019, have given Hameed a second chance, signing a deal with him up till the end of the 2021 season.

Head coach Peter Moores watched Hameed defy a Notts bowling line-up including Stuart Broad and Imran Tahir with a six-hour vigil of 122 at Trent Bridge three years ago, and he believes the former England opener's approach is exactly what his side needs.

"There's no doubting Haseeb's talent," Moores said after the signing was announced. "It doesn't get much tougher than Test cricket in India and he proved over there, at a very young age, that he has all the skill, temperament and patience to succeed at the highest level.

"He's enjoyed some more difficult times since then, and that's going to happen with young players, but the ones that are destined for great things bounce back and move their games on again.

"We believe that's what's going to happen with Haseeb and it's great news for Notts that we can be the ones to benefit from that.

"We've got exciting stroke players in our red-ball team, but it's really important that we find a way to bat longer. Haseeb's approach is patient, methodical and based on crease occupation. They're old-fashioned virtues in many ways, but they're completely relevant to the modern-day game and exactly what we need to help us get better."

Hameed, meanwhile, described himself as eager to get started with his new side and thanked Moores and Notts director of cricket, Mick Newell, for the faith they've shown in him.

"I'm very excited to be joining Nottinghamshire and playing my cricket at Trent Bridge," said Hameed. "I've enjoyed myself every time I've played at this great venue and hope to add to some good memories there.

"This is a new chapter in both my life and career and I'm full of excitement to start working with my new teammates and helping get Notts back up to Division One where they belong.

"I want to thank Lancashire for the support they've provided over the years and to my teammates, whom I've shared a dressing room with.

"A special mention to Mick Newell and Peter Moores at Notts for believing in me. I can't wait to get started."