Durham trip to UAE increasingly likely (From The Northern Echo)

Durham trip to UAE increasingly likely

9:55am Thursday 26th November 2009 in

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DURHAM coach Geoff Cook believes that plans to stage the MCC v Champions curtain-raiser in Abu Dhabi next year, rather than at Lord’s, are gaining momentum.

“We have had a shadow itinerary, which also includes some one-day cricket,” he said. “It’s a genuine possibility and if it is going to happen we will have to decide whether it replaces a pre-season tour. The funding has to be sorted out, but the MCC would obviously give a lot of financial support.”

Durham have been to another Middle East venue, Sharjah, in the past for preseason work, although they have opted for South Africa in the last two years.

Cook will wait to see how next season unfolds before deciding whether to re-engage Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Despite attempting to become the first county since Yorkshire in 1966-68 to win a hat-trick of county titles, Durham are more likely to sign an overseas man purely for Twenty20 cricket.

“Shiv is totally flexible about the situation,” said Cook, adding: “We would like a top-class Twenty20 player because of the huge amount of that type of cricket we have to play in the middle of the season. “We are allowed two overseas men for Twenty20, but we will probably settle for one. We have invested heavily in people like Ian Blackwell and Dale Benkenstein and they have brought us a reasonable amount of success.

“The choice of top Twenty20 men is going to be very restricted again,” said Cook.

“Both Albi Morkel and David Warner have done well for us, but they are not likely to be available.

Australia have a series of one-day internationals in this country, against England and Pakistan, in June and July, and South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand could all be playing at that time. We will make a decision when the ICC have finalised the Future Tours Programme.”

Durham have had Chanderpaul as their overseas man for the last three seasons, although his availability has diminished each year and the title was already as good as in the bag when he arrived in August this year.

He signed off with an unbeaten double century in the final match, but although it helped him to finish with an average of 236 it proved irrelevant in a drawn game.

■ Durham have been told that neither of the university grounds, at the Racecourse and Maiden Castle, will be available for their use next season. It is hoped the academy team will be able to play some of their North East Premier League matches at Riverside, otherwise all their games will have to be away from home.