Caribbean all-rounder Kyle Mayers has signed for Birmingham Bears for their last three group stage matches of T20 Blast 2021. He will be available for selection in the Bears’ very next game, which is against Worcestershire on Friday.
Mayers grabbed the limelight earlier this year by scoring a double-century against Bangladesh in his debut Test match. His unbeaten 210 from 310 deliveries in the second innings helped West Indies get the better of Bangladesh at the Tigers’ home soil.
In his 61-matches long T20 career, the all-rounder has scored 688 runs at an average of 16.78 and a strike rate of 110.78. He has also scalped 16 wickets in T20 cricket. Mayers has played two T20I matches, both of which were against New Zealand in November 2020.
The team he will join, Birmingham Bears, are in need of a bit of inspiration. With only five wins in 11 matches, they are stuck at fifth place in the North Group. The two teams above them, Durham and Worcestershire, also have the same number of wins, and hence, a strong finish can help Birmingham get a place inside the top three.
“Kyle played superbly in last year’s CPL, which helped him to break into the Windies ranks across all formats.
Being able to add Kyle, as a hard-hitting batsman and skillful seam bowler, to our squad as we bid for a quarterfinal place is a great boost.
We also recognise how motivated Kyle is by this opportunity to feature in another leading T20 tournament with an ICC T20 World Cup just around the corner,”
Birmingham’s Director of Cricket Paul Farbrace stated about the signing, as per quotes in Cricbuzz.
When Mayers was asked about the opportunity, he said
“I’m very excited by this opportunity to join up with the Bears and I hope that I can contribute with the bat and ball during these final three important games of the Blast.”
England Cricket Board was forced to name a second-string squad for the series against Pakistan, with some of their first-team members testing positive for COVID-19. Birmingham’s in-form bowler, Danny Briggs, has been called up to the squad, while Mayers’ West Indian teammate Carlos Brathwaite has also tested positive for the virus. Hence, Birmingham will be hoping for something special from Mayers in his short stay in England.
