Kleinveldt withdrawal serves the County with another blow

The South African, who put pen to paper on a deal only yesterday (Thursday), was advised by Cricket South Africa, who he is contracted to, to pull out of the deal due to a knee injury.

It leaves a squad already decimated by injuries looking even thinner and chief executive David Smith couldn’t hise his disappointment with the development.

He said: “He’s centrally contracted so his employers have the control.

“He was keen to come and we wer at a very advanced stage of the deal concerning flights and visas but I got a call at 10am this morning to say it was all off.

“It’s extremely disappointing as it’s at such a late stage but we’ll have to deal with it and move on.”

That will necessitate another trawl through the international availability list, a scenario that Smith says will be far from straightforward.

He added: “It’s difficult as there’s the IPL, New Zealand play the West Indies and South Africa play Sri Lanka so you’re left to pick the bones out of all that.

“We had a plan B for if Jackson Bird didn’t come and now that plan has come to nothing.”