McDonald: "These are two important games for us"

PREVIEW | By Richard Rae

Pakistan international batting star Umar Akmal is looking to end his stay on a high note as he makes his final two appearances for Leicestershire Foxes in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast.

Akmal produced a stunning performance on his debut against Nottinghamshire Outlaws, smashing 76 not out off 49 balls, including four fours and five sixes, to see the Foxes home at Trent Bridge.

Although he was thwarted by the weather when the home game against Northamptonshire Steelbacks had to be abandoned last week, Leicestershire Head Coach Andrew McDonald is looking forward to seeing the 25-year-old in action at Derbyshire Falcons (7pm) tomorrow and Birmingham Bears (6.30pm) on Friday.

McDonald said the exciting young batsman had been a positive influence on his squad during his stay at Grace Road, during which he has also made his LV=CC and List A debuts.

“It was good to have Umar available for the four day match at, he really cherished it and it meant we were able to give Clint a much-needed rest, but now we’re looking forward to him lighting up the T20s against the Falcons and Bears,” said McDonald.

“With three wins, two defeats and one abandoned we’re on the right side of the ledger, and these are two important games for us.”

McDonald acknowledged he had been disappointed with performance at Emirates Old Trafford, where the team suffered an innings defeat.

He said: “The players are good enough, we have the skills in the dressing room, but in Championship cricket it’s all about applying your effort to the team over long periods of time.

“We had a good de-brief after the game, an open and honest chat, and now we have to move forward quickly.

“Every time you get the chance to represent a great club like Leicestershire you have to seize the opportunity, and that’s what I demand of the guys. We need to get back to the actions and behaviours we had earlier in the season and get back on track.”

The Foxes will be without Kevin O’Brien, away on international duty captaining Ireland in their three-match T20 international series against Scotland, but McKay, who was terrific against Notts and Northants, is in a 14-man squad after resting at Lancashire this week.

Tillakaratne Dilshan will make his final appearance of the season for Derbyshire after missing this week’s LV=CC game against Essex for personal reasons.

There are two familiar faces in the Falcons’ 12-man squad in Shiv Thakor and Wayne White, who has taken back-to-back six-fors in the LV=CC ,while Wayne Madsen and Alex Hughes return from injury.

Supporters have been asked to wear yellow for the game in support of the Colin Bloomfield Melanoma Appeal which was launched in 2013 when the BBC Radio Derby presenter, who passed away in April, was diagnosed with the illness.

Squad: Cosgrove (capt), Agathangelou, Akmal, Boyce, Eckersley, McKay, Naik, N.O’Brien, Raine, Sheikh, Shreck, Sykes, Taylor, Wells.