Ravichandran Ashwin's Yorkshire Contract Cancelled Due To Covid-19 Pandemic

Premier India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s Yorkshire has been cancelled with mutual consent, the county club announced in a media release. Ashwin was set to be the fourth Indian to ply his trade for Yorkshire but that looks like a distant dream to the widespread of the novel coronavirus now. Yorkshire has also terminated the contracts of South African left arm spinner Keshav Maharaj and West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran.

Keshav Maharaj had agreed to re-join the White Rose for their opening two Specsavers County Championship fixtures against Gloucestershire and Essex while Nicholas Pooran had agreed a second stint at Emerald Headingley after agreeing to re-join as Yorkshire Vikings’ Vitality Blast overseas player for the 2020 campaign, according to the media release.

Really appreciate the players’ understanding: Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s Director of Cricket

Martyn Moxon, The Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s Director of Cricket said: “Firstly, I really appreciate the players’ understanding in this matter. We have been in regular contact with the players and their agents throughout this Covid pandemic. They have been extremely professional and appreciate the uncertainty facing counties at present.

“We hope that we will be able to see them at Emerald Headingley in the future.”

Ashwin is fourth in the list of most wickets by a India bowler in Tests with 365 wickets only behind Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev and Harbhajan Singh. He has contributed to fore in the limited-overs as well. He has 152 ODI wickets 52 in T20Is to his name. He has constantly been experimenting on the bowling and trying to learn new nuances of it.

Earlier, Gloucestershire had called off Cheteshwar Pujara’s contract due to the pandemic. The Rajkot batsman was set to be only the second Indian after former fast bowler Javagal Srinath to Gloucestershire. Srinath had plied his trade for the club in 1995. Since then none of the Indian cricketer have featured for the club, as Pujara had signed a deal to play six matches in February.