Darren Gough backing Mickey Edwards to be a big hit at Yorkshire CCC

Edwards, who will turn 30 in December next year, has played only 18 games in his professional career, taking 22 wickets across the three formats.

But Gough said he had seen something in the Australian fast bowler, who was plagued by injuries in his younger days, and revealed that Yorkshire beat off competition from three other counties – including two First Division clubs – to snap up Edwards on a two-season contract.

“Too many people look at records – that’s the problem,” said Gough, the managing director of Yorkshire cricket.

“It’s not about records. This lad… very talented. Unfortunately, he’s had a real stop-start career with injuries, but when you play for New South Wales and Sydney Sixers you’ve got something about you.

“I’ve seen enough from videos to know that he can do a job for us. I saw him play for the Kent second team a couple of times last year – he also had a strong league season in Kent, and Darren Stevens (the former Kent batsman) knows him.

“I watched him closely in the winter in three separate games, because with all these apps now you can watch players, which is what I’ve done.

“I’ve watched him on TikTok; it’s the modern way of doing it.

"I’ve watched him on there and I’ve done my research.

"Some of our guys have played against him too; he’s a talented lad.”

Gough was not on Yorkshire’s pre-season tour to South Africa just concluded, where Edwards joined his new team-mates for the first time and, by all accounts, made a favourable impression.

But the former England fast bowler is looking forward to working with him and seeing him first hand, with Gough’s own presence at Yorkshire – along with that of head coach Ottis Gibson, the former West Indies fast bowler – a factor in Edwards’s decision to sign.

“Three other counties wanted to sign him, including a couple in Division One, but he picked us,” said Gough.

“And one of the reasons he picked us is myself and Ottis.

“He’s also been very impressed with our medical team, who have been quality since they came into the club.

“Edwards had a horrendous time as a young kid with injury, and he knows that he’ll be looked after really well here.”

Edwards, who stands 6ft 6ins and has suffered from various stress fractures over the years, is not considered an overseas player on account of family links to the Shropshire area.

He is certainly ambitious, having announced on signing for Yorkshire last month his intention to “fight for a spot in the England team across all formats”.

Although judgment will necessarily have to be reserved on that until the Yorkshire cognoscenti have had a proper chance to cast their expert eye over matters, Gough outlined the skills he feels that Edwards will supply.

“Essentially, he’s totally different to anything we’ve got,” he added.

“He’s well over six foot, gets bounce, bowls a decent pace. He had those injuries in the past but he’s been fit now for two years.

“We’ve got good bowlers who are all very similar, and he just brings a different dimension to the attack.

“He hits the pitch hard and he’s a very good lad with a great personality.”

Owing to Edwards’ injury problems, now hopefully behind him, Gough said that Yorkshire had “protected themselves in the contract” but insisted that “he’s worth the risk”.

He also stressed that the club did not break the bank to win the race to sign him.

“He’s not expensive, he’s not an overseas player, we haven’t broken the bank – let me assure people about that,” he said.

“He really wants to give it a go, and to come back from injury shows the sort of character he is.

“At the end of the day, it either works or it doesn’t.

“It was a no-brainer for me.

"For what it’s cost, he’s a fantastic signing and I wish him all the best.

"It’s up to us now to manage him as well as we can, just like we manage all of our bowlers, such as (Matt) Fisher and (Ben) Coad.”

Gough also spoke encouragingly of another new recruit to the bowling department – Jafer Chohan.

The 20-year-old leg-spinner signed a one-year rookie deal in January.

“He’s impressed in pre-season,” said Gough.

“I think, realistically, he’s mainly going to be one-day stuff to start with, but, yes, I’ve been very impressed.

“He bowled well over in South Africa, and the lads have been impressed with him too.

“He’s definitely put his name into the hat.”