Big blow for Northants as Emilio Gay is ruled out for start of the season

The classy opening batter missed the club's pre-season training camp in South Africa, instead undergoing an operation to rectify the problem.

Gay felt discomfort in his knee during a training session at the beginning of the month, with scans confirming there was an issue.

The 22-year-old was immediately booked in for surgery and is already on the road to recovery, but he will be missing when the 2023 LV= Insurance County Championship campaign begins against Kent at Canterbury on April 6.

Northants head physio Nick Allen said: "It’s disappointing timing obviously, but he’s doing well with his rehab and the specialist is happy with his progress thus far.

"Emilio is out of his brace and off crutches and is entering into his next stage of rehab.”

The injury news is obviously a big blow for the player and the club.

Gay was one of the club's standout performers in four-day cricket in 2022, scoring 825 runs at an average of 33, scoring his second and third career centuries along the way.

Former Leicestershire opener Hassan Azad, who has been working with the South Asian Cricket Academy, has been training with Northants since their return from SA at the weekend.

Azad has joined the playing group in training at the County Ground, and will remain with the squad for the club's upcoming preseason friendlies, which start on Thursday with a date against Worcestershire at Wantage Road.

Azad was released by the Foxes at the end of last season.

In all, the 29-year-old left-hander has played 52 first-class matches, scoring 2,900 runs at an average of 36.7, with a top score of 152.

Last summer, he played 11 Championship games for Leicestershire, scoring 579 runs at 28.95, with a top score of 104 not out.

He also scored four half-centuries.