Pakistan duo Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf hope to usher new-era with Yorkshire stint

Yorkshire County faced a lot of backlashes after Azeem Rafiq made his not-so-good time with the club public. Currently, under new chairperson Lord Kamlesh Patel, the county signed Pakistan's bowling duo of Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf this season as overseas players to change the public opinion about the club.

Shadab and Rauf have called their time with the club an enjoyable one and hoped that this association could usher in a new era for Yorkshire.

According to ecb.co.uk, Shadab said, "When I came here, everyone was excited - and back home as well. The last year Yorkshire have had a struggling time. But it's very good for me to play here now. I wanted to play county cricket. It's my dream come true playing for Yorkshire."

"I had some offers, but I wanted to play for Yorkshire because I wanted to help them. They have so far been very good. I am enjoying it. It's good to play because there is a new era starting, and everyone is very excited."

Rauf echoed similar views, "For what has transpired in the past, they are learning from it, and positive change is coming across. If me and Shadab, being here, can in any way help bring the community back to support them and chant 'Yorkshire, Yorkshire' all over again, that would mean a lot to me."

"For me, it was a no brainer to sign here. I have been received well, and it has been overwhelming."

Shadab, speaking at a tape ball event in Bradford, organized said that he would not hesitate to ask any national teammate to join the country if asked.

"You see it on TV that everything is the wrong way, but when you come here and see the players, it is totally different."

"Definitely, I will go back and tell people: 'They are some of the nicest people I have met," the leg-spinner quipped. 

Shadab will return to play for Yorkshire in the T20 Blast after finishing his national duties with Pakistan, who are due to play against West Indies in Multan starting June 8.

Rauf, who also played in the county championship, will not return to the club, having played his last match against the Derbyshire Falcons on Tuesday night (May 31).

In the end, Rauf said that playing red-ball was a pleasant change (as he is considered a white-ball bowler) and expressed his ambitions to play Test cricket for Pakistan.

"It has been a pleasant change from playing ODI and T20s. I have not played the longer version of the game, but despite playing three or four games back to back, my body still feels in good shape. The new ball has behaved a bit differently. Take nothing away from the groundsmen, but I was hoping for a bit more juice in the wickets."

"But, in the long run, it will help me. My aim is to play Test cricket for Pakistan, and the collaboration between Yorkshire and the Lahore Qalandars has been fantastic for that," the 28-year-old completed.