Image Credit- AP
After being released by Lancashire at the end of the
previous season, fast bowler Richard Gleeson, who made his England debut at the
age of 34, has signed with Warwickshire for the 2024 T20 Blast.
Warwickshire will utilise Gleeson in their T20 team as
a like-for-like replacement for Henry Brookes, who is departing for Middlesex
after signing a three-year contract. Last year, the Bears won 11 of their 14
group games to take first place in the North Group. However, they were defeated
in the quarterfinals by Essex, who finished as runners-up.
Additionally, they secured a three-year contract with
Sussex’s George Garton towards the close of last year, mostly for the Blast.
Additionally, Warwickshire said on Monday that Danny Briggs, the highest-taking
player in T20 Blast history, has agreed to a contract extension to the end of
2025.
On his debut at Edgbaston, Gleeson, 36, who was
selected for England’s T20I team 18 months ago, removed Virat Kohli, Rohit
Sharma, and Rishabh Pant in his first eight balls. He inked a one-year
white-ball deal with the option to extend, so this summer he will be living on
the ground.
Gleeson has spent the last two years on a T20-only
contract with Lancashire but missed the Blast in 2023 with a wrist injury and
was released by the club at the end of last summer. “It’s my home county:
it’s always going to be disappointing if they’re saying they don’t want
you,” he told the Cricketer. “[But] I hadn’t played and as a player,
you’re paid to play cricket.”
He has spent the previous three years working as a
freelancer due to injuries; he last played first-class cricket in August 2020.
He has participated in the SA20 with Durban’s Super Giants, the Abu Dhabi T10
with Delhi Bulls, and the UAE’s ILT20 with Gulf Giants.