Yorkshire sign Shai Hope for three-match Championship stint

With Harry Brook and Joe Root in the IPL, Shan Masood on international duty, and Jonny Bairstow injured, Yorkshire risked going into the new season with an inexperienced batting line-up prior to confirming Hope's arrival

Yorkshire have signed West Indies international Shai Hope for the first three games of the County Championship.

With Harry Brook and Joe Root involved in the IPL, club captain Shan Masood on international duty with Pakistan, and Jonny Bairstow not due back from injury until mid-May at the earliest, Yorkshire risked heading into the new season with an inexperienced batting line-up.

They had also attempted to sign Pakistan international Saud Shakeel but faced issued obtaining a work visa.

However, Hope's arrival should tide them over until Masood's expected return in May.

Hope has previously enjoyed himself at Headingley, striking twin hundreds at the ground in 2017 during a famous five-wicket victory for West Indies against England. The then-23-year-old struck 147 and 118 not out to announce himself on the international stage.

^{Club captain Shan Masood will be absent until mid-May due to international commitments [Quinn Rooney/Getty Images]}

^{Hope scored back-to-back centuries against England at Headingley in 2017 [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]}

Over the course of his career he has scored 3,832 first-class runs at 34.52, including nine centuries and 13 half-centuries.

Yorkshire's managing director, Darren Gough, believes Hope will add "so much experience" to the batting line-up but did concede it would be a fast turnaround for the batter, who was playing ODI cricket for West Indies in South Africa at the back-end of March.

Hope will feature in Yorkshire's season opener against Leicestershire, starting April 6. 

"He brings so much experience- one thing we are lacking is just a little bit of experience so he gives us just that," Gough said.

"We felt we needed just the one experienced face in and we went for Shai. He has been playing well for the West Indies in one-day matches, he has got a record of playing Test cricket – he had his two hundreds at Headingley before for the West Indies.

"He will have to adjust to playing red ball from white ball but he is a fantastic player and it's good to have someone of his quality to come in at short notice for three games."

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