Abbott inks new Hampshire deal but post-Brexit concerns remain

Abbott inks new Hampshire deal but post-Brexit concerns remain







Abbott shows the ball to the Hampshire crowd - a sight that's not going away anytime soon 

Kyle Abbott has signed a new three-year deal with Hampshire Cricket, which will keep him committed to the club until the end of 2022. The signing comes close on the heels of Abbott's figures of 17 for 86 against Somerset, the fourth best bowling figures in County Championship history.

Little is known about where Abbott's deal will stand once the UK leaves the European Union. It in understood that if it happens before the end of 2019, existing contracts would be permitted to continue under existing terms until the end of the 2020 season.

"I'm delighted to have signed a new three-year contract with Hampshire," Abbott told the club website. "We have a great bunch of players and coaching staff all striving to achieve success for the club and I look forward to contributing to winning trophies in the coming years.

"I'd like to thank Rod and Giles for giving me the opportunity to sign a new contract and all the supporters at the Ageas Bowl who have made me feel so welcome over the last three years."

Abbott had retired from international cricket in January 2017 and taken up a four-year Kolpak deal with Hampshire. He then re-joined Hampshire ahead of the 2017 season, where he had featured as an overseas player in 2014, and soon became a crucial cog in the wheel.

He has picked 293 wickets at an average of just 21.43 across all formats for the club. Out of them, 183 are first-class wickets at just 18.78 apiece, which include a tally of more than 50 wickets in each of the last three County Championship campaigns.

In white-ball cricket, Abbott is not too far behind. He picked 17 wickets in the 2017 T20 Blast, helping his side secure a seventh Finals Day appearances in eight years. This year, Abbott has 20 scalps at an average of 17.80, the highest in the club.

"I can't speak highly enough of Kyle," Giles White, Hampshire's Director of Cricket, said. "He has once again shown what a valuable asset he is to the team. He continually puts in match winning contributions; he is a great role model for the younger players and he shows a great passion for playing for the club. For all these reasons we are delighted he will be with us for the long-term."