Skipper Ed Foster has revealed a seam bowler tops Shrewsbury’s wish list for an overseas professional for next season – with Australian allrounder Wes Robinson highly unlikely to return to London Road for a second year.
Robinson has enjoyed a blistering start to the first class cricket season Down Under with Western Australia, showing the form which eluded him for much of this summer with Shrewsbury.
Foster said he was pleased to see Robinson doing so well but it was almost certain Shrewsbury would explore other options for their new overseas pro for the 2010 Birmingham League premier division season, and he’s identified a need to draft in a quickie to pep up the bowling attack.
“We’re probably looking for a bowler just to help our strength in depth and we’ve got a few feelers out, but it’s still early stages,” said Foster, appointed Shropshire captain last week.
“It’s unlikely that Wes will be coming back and I don’t think he’ll be coming to England next year. Who knows, the way he’s going he might be on an Australian ‘A’ tour given how well he’s doing.
“I’m really pleased things are going well for him. He’s a nice guy and it’s just a shame he didn’t get as many runs for us as he’s now getting at a higher standard with Western Australia, not that he showed a lack of effort for us.
“Wes loved his time for us and he’s been doing a good sales job for us now he’s back home.”
Shrewsbury have concentrated on Western Australia for many of their recent pros, but Foster said it wasn’t guaranteed their next overseas recruit would come from there.
“We’re definitely looking to bring in a player from the same level as Wes again,” he said. “With the way the visa laws are, they really have to be playing first class cricket.
“We’ve got contacts in Australia and two of our players are over there playing at the moment, with Will Parton in Adelaide and Elliot Green in Queensland, so they’re keeping an eye open.
“We’ve also got Joe Leach playing in New Zealand at the moment and he’s come to me with two good players who are keen to come over.”
Foster believes Shrewsbury are an attractive proposition for players given how well they performed in the Birmingham League last season, also reaching the last four of the National KO.
By Stuart Dunn
