Yorkshire CCC will try to sign Ravi Ashwin, Kesh Maharaj, Nicholas Pooran in 2021

Ravi Ashwin, Keshav Maharaj and Nicholas Pooran all had their respective summer contracts mutually cancelled as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

Club captain Patterson has echoed director of cricket Martyn Moxon’s desire to re-engage the trio at some point in the future.

Maharaj and Pooran were both due to return to Emerald Headingley for their second spells having impressed last season, while Indian Test spinner Ashwin was due to wear the White Rose for the first time.

“I heard about the decision, and I agree with it. It’s the right call,” said Patterson, currently on furlough leave from club duties.

“It would have been great to have had these guys with us, but overseas players cost a lot of money and all clubs are going to be in a position where we’ve got a lot less money than planned when we do start playing again.

“To be in a situation like this which is unprecedented, you have to take as much risk away from yourself as possible.

“We still have a large group of players who get more of an opportunity to shine, which might be important for them contractually as well.

“The way the club have done it, it’s been the right way and means these lads have the opportunity to come back in the future.”

South African left-arm spinner Maharaj claimed a stunning 38 wickets in five County Championship matches through the second half of last summer, including two five-wicket hauls, one six-for and a seven-for.

He also added two wickets in five T20 Blast games, a competition in which powerful West Indian wicketkeeper batsman Pooran hit 122 runs in three innings.

Maharaj was due to play the first two Championship matches of the season, while Pooran was due to return for a longer stint of Blast cricket.

Indian off-spin legend Ashwin, a bowler with 567 international wickets across all formats, was due to play a minimum of eight Championship games through the second half of the campaign.

“We know the quality of them first hand in terms of Maharaj and Pooran, and Ashwin speaks for himself with all he’s done,” added Patterson.

“Kesh was absolutely brilliant for us. We knew what we wanted in an overseas player, and he ticked every single box.

“The level of consistency he brought with the ball and the type of character he is, he was absolutely outstanding.

“In a sense, it’s a shame we didn’t have him for longer. He played five games for nearly 40 wickets.

“The plan this year was for him and Ashwin to play 10 or 11 games between them.

“And of course had we had Kesh for 10 games last year, who knows what we could have achieved!

“The most important thing is keeping a good relationship with someone like that because he loved playing for us and we loved having him.”

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