It’s official! Van is a no-show

THE worst-kept secret in the Lake Garage CLL was officially out in the open this week after Werneth were told that Roelof van der Merwe will not be joining them as professional for the rest of the season.

The South African one-day star, signed by Werneth as their paid man for 2009, failed to play a single game for the Coppice club after first being snapped up by Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League and then being required by his country for the recent ICC Twenty20 World Cup.

Werneth cricket chairman Adie McMahon admitted: “What makes it worse is that everyone seemed to know before us.

“We had official confirmation on June 17 when we received a letter from the South African Cricket Board dated June 3.

“The letter contained a medical certificate stating he had been having cortisone injections in his shoulder to get him through the Twenty20 and would need eights weeks’ rest after it.”

Van der Merwe’s role for the first nine matches of the season at Werneth was filled by his Titans team-mate Pierre Joubert.

He returned home at the end of May since when stand-in professionals have been employed by the club.

Van der Merwe was supposed to have been available for Saturday’s home game against Heywood and for the rest of the season.

Mr McMahon said neither he nor any other Werneth official had been able to speak to van der Merwe directly, but contact had been made with the player’s agent, who has - verbally at least - secured them a new professional until the end of the season.

He is 28-year-old Pakistani Humayun Farhat, who has been playing his cricket in an open league on Merseyside.

Humayun is the brother of Pakistan Test-match opening batsman Imran Farhat and has played one Test himself, scoring 54 runs at an average of 27.

He has also played in five one-day internationals for Pakistan in which he has batted three times, scoring 60 runs at 20.

A wicket-keeper, Humayun has taken part in 107 first-class matches in Pakistan, hitting three centuries and 31 fifties.

He has scored 4,407 first-class runs, his top score is 188 and he averages 26.54.

Humayun’s arrival at the Coppice is much needed following the team’s recent slump after a superb start to the season.

Joint top at one stage, Werneth have dropped to joint sixth but will be looking for a resurgence, starting this weekend at home to Heywood and away to Monton and Weaste.