Middlesex Cricket is today delighted to announce that Australian international Jason Behrendorff is set to join the Club for this season’s Vitality Blast campaign, and he’ll be joined by fellow countryman Chris Green, with the all-rounder returning to the Club for a short spell in the middle of this year’s campaign.
Left-arm seamer Behrendorff, 32, will join up with Middlesex after his commitments with Royal Challengers Bangalore come to an end at this year’s Indian Premier League and he will be available for Middlesex for the remainder of the season’s Blast campaign through to finals day should Middlesex qualify.
Behrendorff comes in as a replacement for Shaheen Shah Afridi, who the Club can confirm will not be returning to Middlesex this season, with his availability in the Blast limited by his international commitments with Pakistan.
The Australian has 21 white-ball caps for his country, having played in twelve ODI’s and 9 T20’s, and he brings a wealth of domestic T20 experience to Middlesex, having reached the final of the Big Bash League five times with Perth Scorchers - lifting the title on three occasions, in 2014, 2015 and most recently earlier this year.
Chris Green will join up with Middlesex in early June as a replacement for Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who the Club can confirm will start Middlesex’s Blast campaign at the end of May, but will leave on international duty with his country, who play Zimbabwe in a three match ODI series. Upon completion of Afghanistan’s ODI series, Mujeeb will return to Middlesex for the remainder of the Club’s Blast campaign, including the knockout stages should Middlesex qualify.
Australian Green, 28, was impressive with both bat and ball for Middlesex in last summer’s Blast campaign, playing in seven of the Club’s South Group matches, and like Behrendorff has also tasted success in the Big Bash League, winning the title with Sydney Thunder in 2017.
Speaking of the addition of Behrendorff and Green to Middlesex’s Vitality Blast ranks, Alan Coleman, Head of Men’s Performance Cricket, said:
“We are delighted to have added Jason and Chris to our T20 squad for the forthcoming Blast campaign.
“With Shaheen heavily committed to international duty with Pakistan we needed to bring a quality seamer into the attack for our Blast campaign, and in Jason we have a left-arm seamer of proven international class.
“With Mujeeb also leaving on international duty, we were keen to ensure that we were covered in the spin department, and we all know what Greeny is capable of in the short form of the game. He fit in brilliantly last summer, and can play a match-winning role for us, so we’re really looking forward to welcoming him back into the dressing room.
“With more international cricket now being played it is becoming increasingly more difficult to secure the long-term availability of international players of the quality that you need over an extended period of time, and we are delighted that we’ve been able to secure players of the quality of Jason and Chris in the periods that we need them for. “
