Warwickshire academy’s Hamza Shaikh and Amir Khan sign professional contracts

Warwickshire academy’s teenage prodigies Hamza Shaikh and Amir Khan have signed professional contracts with the cricket club.

Shaikh, a 16-year-old, made his second XI debut last year and is currently playing for Knowle & Dorridge in the Birmingham & District Premier League. Previously, he represented Warwickshire in their Under-10s matches.

Meanwhile, Amir Khan, another 16-year-old, is also playing for Knowle & Dorridge. Quite recently, he scored a century against Lancashire 2nd XI in his second Second XI Championship match.

The left-handed batter has compiled 375 runs across six matches for his Second XI side.

Paul Greetham, High-Performance Manager at Warwickshire CCC, said, “Both Hamza and Amir have made hundreds in our Second XI as 15-year-olds, and they have incredible potential to move beyond these initial rookie contracts.

He added, “Both players started in the Warwickshire system in the under 10s team, they attend local Birmingham schools, have enjoyed good early careers in the local club game, which will continue, and their families have been fantastic in supporting their journey. We’re thrilled that both have taken this initial step towards what will hopefully be long careers as Bears.”

Paul Farbrace, Director of Cricket at Warwickshire CCC, said: “We’re very proud of the strides that our pathway has made in recent years. Having Ian Westwood and Richard Jones as part of our backroom team has been critical in taking young players on this journey and educating them about what is needed to reach the professional ranks.