Indian pacer Gurnoor Brar has been drafted into the North Zone squad for their Duleep Trophy semi-final against South Zone. The match is scheduled to begin on Sunday at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, with Brar joining the team immediately after India’s Test series in Sri Lanka concluded with a 1-0 victory on Thursday. Brar is expected to feature in North Zone’s starting XI. The selectors are believed to be keen on exposing Brar to as much first-class cricket as possible ahead of India’s next Test assignment, which is a two-match series in New Zealand scheduled for November.
Although he is still waiting for his international debut in Test cricket, Brar has already moved closer to the national setup, having been selected in India’s squads for their last two Test assignments. As per Cricinfo, Jammu & Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi might be in line for a brief spell in English county cricket, provided his visa formalities are completed in time. The move is expected to give the young seamer exposure to conditions that are likely to suit his style of bowling in English conditions.
The selectors also would prefer him to play county cricket over Duleep Trophy for the time being. Meanwhile, Gurnoor made his international debut in ODIs earlier this year. He played against Afghanistan in June and also featured in all three matches of India's ODI series in England. In all he has taken 11 wickets. In first-class cricket, across 19 matches, Brar has taken 62 wickets at an average of 25.24.