A few days ago, we suggested that Yorkshire had hit rock bottom and were about to turn things around 180 degrees and ride the surge to division 2 glory and onwards to next season's county championship title.
In light of an archetypically Yorkshire implosion, the club have seen fit to let one of the finest bowlers on the staff leave the club. Ajmal Shahzad had a troubled 2011, but started this season with a bang, right up there with his pace and making the ball talk which earned high praise from the coaching staff. He was praised in particular for his work ethic in getting back to something like the form that earned him one Test cap and a number of appearances for England in the shorter forms, including the last World Cup. There's a suggestion that Tim Bresnan's availability and the decision to give him the new ball over Shahzad has led to a deterioration in his attitude, something that the impending arrival of Mitchell Starc - surely a new-ball bowler if ever there was one - wasn't going to ease.
The reasons will, apparently, be made clear of the coming hours, days and weeks, but from this vantage point it looks like a sorry shambles, the like of which Yorkshire are alone in engineering. Twas ever thus, from alienating the likes of Ray Illingworth and Brian Close to the more recent episode with Matthew Hoggard. Shahzad's explosive pace is something that the side need in order to wake them from their slumbers. Uniquely, Yorkshire find a way to make that impossible.
Whatever has gone on, we feel we owe our readership an apology. It's never been plain sailing at Headingley and this season is no different. To have given you the impression that things were somehow different this time was irresponsible and we apologise for having caused any confusion and/or distress.
FURTHER READING: David Hopps, as ever, is pretty much bang on the banana over at Cricinfo.
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