South-African Kyle Abbott has signed as Hampshire’s overseas player for the 2014 season.
The right-arm fast bowler is capped in every format for South Africa and will join the Club in time for Hampshire’s second LV= County Championship game of the season against Gloucestershire starting on Sunday 13 April.
Hampshire Director of Cricket, Giles White said: “To have a bowler of Kyle’s quality available for the entire 2014 campaign is a huge boost to the squad. He comes highly recommended both as a player and a person and we look forward to him joining up with the squad in April.”
The 26-year old has an impressive record for Durban-based team Sunfoil Dolphins, with 165 wickets at an average of 21.9 in 45 First-Class matches. He has also been equally effective in both List A and Twenty20 domestic cricket with bowling averages of 28 and 25 respectively since his debut in 2009.
“It’s been a long time ambition of mine to play county cricket and I have heard great things about Hampshire,” said Abbott. “I am excited about the opportunity and am grateful that Cricket South Africa has given me permission to play, subject to my Dolphins and South African commitments.
“I look forward to meeting up with the Hampshire team in early April and hopefully I can contribute to some good wins.”
Abbott’s stand-out form in South Africa’s First-Class domestic competition, which left him the leading wicket-taker in the 2012-13 season, earned him a Test call-up in February last year.
Figures of 7-29, the ninth best figures of all time for a debutant in Test cricket, then followed for the fast bowler as South Africa beat Pakistan by an innings and 18 runs.
Abbott also comes to The Ageas Bowl as a useful lower order batsman with four First-Class half-centuries to his name, averaging just below 20.
James Buttler
As the editor of World Cricket Badger he is intent on building the website to give quality coverage of the domestic game around the world.
He is also the presenter of the Cricket Badger Radio Show on Radio Yorkshire every Tuesday evening between 7-9pm UK time.
James was the full-time Media Manager at Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 2007 and 2010.
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