Abbas loving life with the Foxes

It is fair to say that Muhammad Abbas has had a few cricketing weeks to remember as he and his Leicestershire CCC colleagues prepares for the Specsavers County Championship visit of Middlesex tomorrow (11am start).

Having been named Player of the Series following Pakistan's creditable one-all draw against England, during which he took ten wickets, the 28-year-old returned to help the Foxes to a vital Specsavers County Championship win over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

It means that County has had a solid start to the new campaign with back-to-back victories, two solid draws and defeat at Durham in a game in which the team controlled for long periods.

But even if things weren't going so well on the field, Abbas has a background which makes him fully aware how fortunate he is to be a professional sportsman.

Although he made a first-class debut in 2009, for Sialkot, personal success was some time coming, during which he combined cricket with various jobs off the field. These included working as a welder, in a leather factory, and in a law firm before the taking of 61 wickets in ten matches in the 2015-16 domestic season won him a full-time contract.

He was even more effective the following year, at the end of which Abbas won his first Test cap, on his country's tour of the West Indies. In the eight Tests he has now played, he has taken 42 wickets at an incredible average of 17.69.

“I had a tough life in Pakistan before I started to play full-time, so perhaps that does make a difference,” he agreed. “Certainly I know that it is very important to always work hard. Also being more mature, it helps too.”

It means, he says, that he is ready to play for the rest of the season. “With just two Tests, and the practice games, I am not too tired, and as a cricketer I am ready to play every time I am asked,” said Abbas.

“County cricket is tough, with four-day matches and T20s and then four-day matches, but I am not worried, I worked hard with the Pakistan trainer and now the Leicestershire trainer and I intend to be available for all of the season.”

This is good news for Leicestershire CCC supporters relishing the new ball partnership Abbas, with his accuracy, consistency and ability to move the ball both ways at a lively pace, has already formed with Ben Raine.

Abbas and Raine have shared 29 wickets so far and gone at an economy rate of just 2.53 across their 268 combined overs. The manner in which the duo broke the Northamptonshire CCC game open in the first hour of the third day, taking a combined four for 33 from 13 overs, was extremely impressive.

Abbas is already a popular member of the dressing room, having kept in touch with his county team-mates throughout the Test series.

He said: “The pitch was very slow, the sun was shining and the ball wasn't really swinging, but we tried to reverse it and we had some success. It was hard work, but when you work hard, it usually pays off.

“I feel Leicestershire is my team, and I play better when I feel part of the group. This is my first time in England, so I have not seen every other team, but I am very positive for the future because the team management is good, and it is a good mixture of experienced and young players. I am looking forward to the rest of the season very much.”

Abbas took eight wickets in the test match at Lord’s, the home of tomorrow’s opposition, who are boosted by the availability of England batsman Dawid Malan.

Colin Ackermann (finger), Mark Cosgrove (thumb) and Zak Chappell (shoulder) missed today’s game against India A but are part of an unchanged 13-man squad for the game. Ateeq Javid and Richard Jones are again in contention alongside the XI that won at Northants.

Leicestershire CCC Captain Paul Horton was generally happy with the all-round performance at Wantage Road and is now looking for the Foxes to maintain their consistency.

The opener has already posted four half-centuries in the competition, including an important 62 in the 148-run partnership with Lewis Hill that went a long way to knocking off the target of 217.

“We were a little under par batting in the first innings but it was a pleasing win,” said Horton. “We’ll continue to take each game as it comes, starting with the visit of Middlesex.

“It’s great to have back-to-back wins, and we have had opportunities in the other games that we have played, with two solid draws and a game at Durham we feel we should have won.

“We are playing solid all-round cricket and that’s what county cricket is all about. If we continue to do that, then we will be there or thereabouts, but you won’t find us getting too carried away at this stage.”

Leicestershire CCC (from 13): Horton (capt), Abbas, Ackermann, Chappell, Cosgrove, Dearden, Dexter, Griffiths, Hill, Javid, Jones, Parkinson, Raine.

* Tickets for Leicestershire CCC's next Specsavers County Championship home game against Middlesex CCC are available for all four days online HERE