Pakistan’s Imam-ul-Haq joins Yorkshire after Ruturaj Gaikwad withdraws
Pakistan opening batter Imam-ul-Haq has joined Yorkshire as an overseas player for the rest of the season after India’s Ruturaj Gaikwad withdrew for personal reasons. Imam will be available for the Championship match against Surrey, the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, and the culmination in September.
In a statement, Yorkshire's general manager, Gavin Hamilton, said, ‘We're delighted that Imam has joined us and will be available immediately.’ The manager also said they were ‘naturally disappointed’ about Ruturaj’s withdrawal; however, he and the team understood his decision.
Despite the upset, Yorkshire also looks forward to working with Imam-ul-Haq due to his impressive feats as a cricket player. ‘Imam has an impressive record and is already familiar with domestic cricket in this country which will stand us in good stead for a crucial block of fixtures.’ Hamilton stated.
Imam-ul-Haq as a cricket player
Imam-ul-Haq is the nephew of Pakistan legend Inzamam-ul-Haq. Because of this, he started taking an interest in the sport and wanted to follow in the footsteps of his legendary uncle.
Now, he has scored three centuries in 24 Tests and nine in 75 ODIs. He also played for Somerset in the 2022 County Championship and was part of Pakistan Television's win in the President's Cup last March.