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Pakistan's Shadab Khan signs for Yorkshire as Ballance takes a break

Pakistan's Shadab Khan signs for Yorkshire as Ballance takes a break

Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has signed to play for Yorkshire in the Twenty20 Blast, the English county announced Friday.

The 23-year-old leg-spinner will be available for the club's first five and last six fixtures of the domestic T20 competition.


Shadab has represented Pakistan in all three international formats, including 64 Twenty20s where he has taken 73 wickets and boasts a batting strike-rate of 136.81.

Subject to obtaining international clearance, he will now join Pakistan team-mate Haris Rauf at Yorkshire, with the fast bowler available for the first five matches of the Blast.

"Shadab Khan is someone who can bat at the top, bat in the middle order and hits the ball a long way," said Darren Gough, Yorkshire's interim managing director of cricket.

"He is also an unbelievable spinner," the former England fast bowler added.

Shadab said: "I'm really excited to be heading to Yorkshire for the Blast. Ever since I started my cricketing journey it has always been a dream of mine to play county cricket.

"It will be made even more special with me being able to play alongside my good friend, Haris."

- Ballance break -

But Gary Ballance is set to miss the start of Yorkshire's season by taking a break in order to improve his mental health.

The batsman, who featured in 23 Tests for England between 2014 and 2017, faced fierce scrutiny in November after last November after admitting he had used racist language towards former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq.

Pakistan-born spinner Rafiq accused Yorkshire of failing to deal adequately with the abuse he suffered while playing for the county side, saying he had been driven to thoughts of suicide.

His revelations led to a mass clear-out of senior boardroom figures and coaching staff at the club, with former Yorkshire quick Gough called in while new chairman Kamlesh Patel became the face of a fresh regime.

Yorkshire hope Zimbabwe-born Ballance, 32, will return to action later in the season, with the left-hander having come back from a stress-related break in 2020.

"He's still a Yorkshire player," Gough told Britain's Press Association news agency. "He's off with his mental health, he's struggled with that in the past as well.

"We will support him in any way possible to hopefully, sometime this season, represent Yorkshire again."

Gough was speaking just hours after Yorkshire's members approved a reform package at an extraordinary general meeting.

English cricket chiefs were so dismayed by Yorkshire's initial response to Rafiq's revelations they threatened to withdraw lucrative England fixtures from Yorkshire's Headingley headquarters in Leeds.

But Thursday's EGM votes mean that threat has been lifted, with Gough saying: "It was a relief that happened and now we can move forward.

"It's about accepting what's happened in the past, never forgetting it and making sure something like that doesn't happen again."

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  • Coaching Inn Group scores 81 per cent customer satisfaction, beating Marriott and Hilton.
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A traditional pub hotel group has outperformed luxury international chains in the UK's largest guest satisfaction survey, while one major operator continues its decade-long streak at the bottom of the rankings.
The Coaching Inn Group, comprising 36 relaxed inn-style hotels in historic buildings across beauty spots and market towns, achieved the highest customer score of 81per cent among large chains in Which?'s annual hotel survey. The group earned five stars for customer service and accuracy of descriptions, with guests praising its "lovely locations and excellent food and service.
"The survey, conducted amongst 4,631 guests, asked respondents to rate their stays across eight categories including cleanliness, customer service, breakfast quality, bed comfort and value for money. At an average £128 per night, Coaching Inn demonstrated that mid-range pricing with consistent quality appeals to British travellers.
J D Wetherspoon Hotels claimed both the Which? Recommended Provider status (WRPs) and Great Value badge for the first time, offering rooms at just £70 per night while maintaining four-star ratings across most categories. Guests described their stays as "clean, comfortable and good value.
"Among boutique chains, Hotel Indigo scored 79 per cent with its neighbourhood-inspired design, while InterContinental achieved 80per cent despite charging over £300 per night, and the chain missed WRP status for this reason.

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However, Premier Inn, long considered Britain's reliable budget choice, lost its recommended status this year. Despite maintaining comfortable beds, guests reported "standards were slipping" and prices "no longer budget levels" at an average £94 per night.

The survey's biggest disappointment remains Britannia Hotels, scoring just 44 per cent and one star for bedroom and bathroom quality. This marks twelve consecutive years at the bottom, with guests at properties like Folkestone's Grand Burstin calling it a total dive.

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