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Allan Foti, Sports Correspondent
BULAWAYO Metropolitan Cricket League First League side, Queens has announced the signing of Singapore national team leg break spinner Anantha Krishna on a short term contract.
He will be available for five First League matches for Queens. The 26-year-old comes with a big reputation both in his home country and in the ICC World Cricket League Third Division having made his international debut seven years ago. He has played the last three years playing in the Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) Divison 1 League for multiple championships winning side Indian Association.
Queens are currently second in the league behind Roosters and will be hoping their new signing, who made a winning debut against Bulawayo Athletic Club last Sunday at Emakhandeni Cricket Club, will help them overhaul their rivals and land them a championship at the end of the season.
Krishna is expected to be a big addition to Queens’ attack as they look to challenge for the title in the First League this year. They are a squad blending experience with youth and have been pleased with the characters of the players they have in the playing squad as well as their quality.
He said he was happy with the opportunity to play in what he discovered to be a competitive club league and believes both he and Queens will benefit from his time at the club before he heads to India for club cricket with a side in Bangalore.
“I am happy to be in Zimbabwe with Queens having had offers to join clubs in Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa. I decided to come to Zimbabwe because of the rapport I developed with Simba Kusano and Duncan Frost while we were negotiation the possible move,” Krishna told Sunday Sport.
The new Queens pro took 10 wickets in 6 matches in ICC World Cricket League Div 3 last year as well as being the top wicket-taker in the 2017 SCA Division 1 League with 18 wickets in 8 matches to go with his T20 gold & 50 Over silver medals at the 29th South East Asian Games also last year.
The club is also happy with the historic signing and believe that Krishna will help them overhaul Rooster at the top of the First League before he departs for India in February.
“With some of our players away on international duty, competing in the First League was always going to be difficult. But we are very happy with Krishna, a proven international player. He has played a lot of games in the shorter formats for Singapore, not a lot of the Test matches, but his first class record is excellent.
“He has got a really good ratio of wickets and, when you are looking at a potent attack, you need someone who can take wickets and he is proven at that,” said Kusano.
In his debut match for Queens, Krishna scored 56 runs and took 2 wickets for 20 runs from four overs. — @AllanFoti
Online Reporter