Who Are The Leading Overseas Players In County Cricket In 2021?

Published on: Apr 28, 2021

With three competitions to look forward to this year in county cricket in England, the respective teams have been working hard in the off-season to secure the best possible overseas talent available.

Here is a look at three signings that could prove to be very good deals in 2021.

Cameron Bancroft (Durham)

Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft is set to return to Durham for his second spell in the county game. In 2019 the Australia international scored 726 runs in the County Championship at an average of 45.37.

Bancroft has been in excellent form for Western Australia. He will remain in his home country until May, competing in the Sheffield Shield. His arrival will be a huge boost for Durham who finished fifth in the County Championship Division Two in 2020.

With the Ashes Test series taking place later this year, Bancroft will want to impress with the bat. His performances for Durham in 2019 helped him make the Ashes squad. There is a lot of competition for places in the opening end of the Australian batting order so the 28-year-old needs a good summer in England. Australia are the odds-on favourites at 8/15 in the cricket betting for the series Down Under this winter.

Shreyas Iyer (Lancashire)

Lancashire have had some excellent overseas players over the years and Shreyas Iyer could be the latest to join that list. The Indian batsman will be having his first taste of County cricket in 2021 after signing for the One-Day Cup.

Iyer has made an excellent start to his international career for India. He has scored 807 runs through his opening 21 ODIs at an average of 44.83. The right-handed batsman scored his maiden century at Seddon Park in a game against New Zealand.

With Iyer and a strong squad around him, Lancashire will be hoping they can win the One-Day Cup for the first time since 1999. The five-time winners have been successful in the T20 Blast since then but they have struggled in the 50-overs competition.

Mohammad Amir (Kent)

There are not many better seam bowlers in world cricket than Mohammad Amir. The 29-year-old has signed for the Kent Spitfires to feature in the T20 Blast in 2021. This will be the Pakistani’s second spell in English cricket as he played for Essex between 2017 and 2019.

Amir retired from international cricket last December so Kent will not lose their new bowler to international commitments. He will not arrive in England until he finishes the Pakistan Super League with Karachi Kings. His opening game for his new county may come against his former side Essex on the 25th of June.

The 29-year-old played 50 T20 internationals for Pakistan. He picked up 59 wickets at an average of 21.40. His experience will be vital for Kent in a competition they have done quite well in over the last few years. The addition of Amit could help them go a few steps further and lift the trophy for the first time since 2007.

It’s going to be a busy summer ahead in county cricket and with the quality of players as high as it is, it should be an exciting year.