Middlesex CCC boss eyes winter signings

Nov 24 2009 By Jon Batham

SIGNING the likes of Adam Gilchrist and Sachin Tendulkar is a major coup for Middlesex.

However, according to Angus Fraser the most important signings of the winter are yet to be announced.

Gilchrist’s arrival for the five Twenty/20 games at Lord’s in 2010 was announced on Thursday and hopes are high the world’s number one batsman Tendulkar will put pen to paper on a similar deal later this week.

But while the former Aussie wicketkeeper and the Indian Test wizard will guarantee bums on seats and plenty of cash in the coffers for Middlesex and the MCC during next year’s bish, bash, bosh campaign, Fraser insists his priority is still success in the County Championship.

Therefore, his two fast bowling signings expected to be unveiled before Christmas are more significant to a man who – despite the craggy care-worn exterior which marked his playing days – is still a cricket romantic at heart.

He said: "Our main goal is still to get out of Division Two of the County Championship. Things like the Twenty/20 have their place but winning the County Championship is for me at least still the biggest thing.

"We hope to make announcements on the new bowlers for the County Championship before Christmas.

"The two players concerned are in delicate positions and announcements made now would start out relationships with them on the wrong footing."

Nevertheless, the more pragmatic side of Fraser couldn’t hide his delight at signing Gilchrist, the IPL’s leading run scorer and three times a World Cup winner.

And he admitted, should Test cricket’s leading run scorer Tendulkar be added to the mix he’d feel like the cat that’d got the cream.

He added: "If Tendulkar was to sign I’d say that would be a fair description of me.

It’s a big coup for Middlesex and highlights the ambitions of the club, something a few people have questioned in recent times.

The ECB asked clubs to use their imagination with Twenty/20 in order to get some extra revenue and players of the stature of Gilchrist and Tendulkar fit that bill."