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Middlesex signed Behrendorff, Green for T20 Blast 2022 as replacements for Afridi, Mujeeb

Middlesex have announced the signing of Australian seamer Jason Behrendorff and all-rounder Chris Green as replacements for Shaheen Afridi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman on Sunday (May 22nd). 


Australian left-arm seamer, Behrendorff, is all set to join the club for the upcoming T20 Blast campaign as a replacement for Shaheen Afridi, who decided to return to Pakistan to fulfil his international duties. 


Behrendorff, who is currently in India, will join the club after completing his stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore. The 32-year-old Australian international has been spellbinding for Perth Scorchers and Western Australia in the last couple of years. 


Speaking of the addition of Behrendorff, Head of men's performance cricket, Alan Coleman said, "We are delighted to have added Jason and Chris to our T20 squad for the forthcoming Blast campaign. With Shaheen heavily committed to international duty with Pakistan, we needed to bring a quality seamer into the attack for our Blast campaign, and in Jason, we have a left-arm seamer of proven international class."


In addition, Middlesex also signed Behrendorff's fellow countryman, Chris Green, marking his return to the club after a successful stint last year. The Australian all-rounder will join the club for a short term as a replacement for Mujeeb Ur Rahman who will be leaving on international duty at the end of May. Mujeeb will return to Middlesex for the remaining games in the Blast after the three-match ODI series between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in June.


"With Mujeeb also leaving on international duty, we were keen to ensure that we were covered in the spin department, and we all know what Greeny is capable of in the short form of the game. He fit in brilliantly last summer, and can play a match-winning role for us, so we're really looking forward to welcoming him back into the dressing room," Coleman added.


Green is a known name in the English domestic circuit and in the Caribbean Islands as well. He might have been a controversial figure in Australia but has done well Guyana and Jamaica in the CPL, apart from providing his services to Surrey, Birmingham and Middlesex in the English domestic T20 tournament. 


The spinning all-rounder has taken 10 wickets in seven games Blast games he played for Middlesex last year. He also scored a total of 107 runs at a strike rate of nearly 141, which included a lot of match-turning cameos. 


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'Was hopeful of my comeback in the Indian team after my County stint': Cheteshwar Pujara

India's Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara has made a remarkable comeback into the national setup after being dropped earlier due to lack of form. On Sunday, he was named in the squad for the one-off Test against England in July, which will conclude the five-match series, rescheduled due to a Covid outbreak in the Indian camp last year. Pujara, speaking to The Indian Express, believed that his county stint with Sussex would not go unnoticed. "I was positive. There was no doubt about it. The way my county stint went, I was hopeful that I will make a comeback to the Indian team. But when I went to play county cricket, the India comeback was never on my mind; I just wanted to find my rhythm and I knew one big innings would help me find my rhythm back," Pujara explained. Further, India’s number three batter stated that he is looking forward to playing against England and was happy he got his due. "I am glad to have been selected for the England Test and happy that my recent county performances were recognized. Having spent some time in the middle during county games, I do believe it will keep me in good stead as we get ready for the game against England. As always, I'm looking forward to preparing and training well ahead of the tour, and do hope to continue contributing to the Indian team," Pujara told TOI. He further stated that while playing county cricket, his only focus was scoring runs and finding his rhythm back. "I was just trying to find my old form. If you look at my innings in the past, I was getting 80s, 90s, so I never felt I was out of form even when the big runs were not coming. I was just hoping to get big runs. Big runs means not 100 but 150-plus scores. Because to get back to my usual concentration level, I needed those big scores. And I found that in England. I found my rhythm and as I got those runs, things began to fall in place," the right-hander conveyed. Pujara, playing for Sussex, amassed 720 runs in just five matches at an amazing average of 120, in the County Championship 2022 (Division II), which included two double tons and as many centuries. He also said that not getting picked in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 was a blessing in disguise for the Saurashtra cricketer. "You can say that now in hindsight. Had I been picked by an IPL team, there were major chances that I wouldn't have got any games. I would have just gone (to nets) and practised. Getting match practice and practice in the nets is always different. So when the county thing happened, I just said yes. The major reason I said yes to the county (stint) is that I wanted my old rhythm back," the 34-year-old concluded. The Rajkot-born is currently spending some time off with his family in Paris.