Cape Town – Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj has signed a short-term red-ball deal with English county club, Yorkshire.

The 29-year-old joins the county ahead of a key period of County Championship action and arrived in the UK on Tuesday, having been successful with his VISA application.

According to the county’s website, Maharaj will be available for the team’s first game against Surrey in the County Championship fixture at Scarborough.

He will play the next three red-ball games, appearing North Marine Road and Chelmsford, before making his final appearance in the fixture against Somerset which gets underway at Emerald Headingley on Saturday, July 13.

“When you start playing club cricket in the UK, you keep an eye on the circuit and always wonder what it would be like to play it,” he told
yorkshireccc.com.

“I got the opportunity to play for Lancashire, and against Yorkshire, and developed a bit of a relationship with a few of the guys. I’m very, very happy and privileged to be coming back.

“As a cricketer the more you play the better you get. Coming out of a pre-season, it’s a bit of a stepping stone to my domestic season and it will be nice to get a few overs under my belt.

“Aside from the cricket you learn a lot about yourself. You’re sort of a stranger in a different place. You have to learn to take more responsibility and find a way to get through things. It adds to your character.

“I’m really excited though and didn’t expect an opportunity to come up so soon. It was an opportunity, nonetheless, that I wasn’t going to miss out on. Having played at Headingley, it was a great challenge and one that I will enjoy during my time with the club. Going forwards I would like to be pivotal in winning some of the games during the three I’ve been signed on for and helping Yorkshire step up a little bit in the table.

“Yorkshire are a very tight-knit club, very well run, with lots of people turning up on the day of the game. They play a very good, exciting brand of cricket.”