Injury-hit off-spinner Jigar Naik has signed a one-year contract extension with Leicestershire and is on the verge of bowling again.
The 29-year-old, who missed most of the 2012 campaign with ankle and knee problems, took 26 wickets in his 10 first-class games this year before dislocating his right shoulder during July’s Friends Life t20 defeat of Notts Outlaws.
Naik’s recovery has gone well with the help of the club’s physio, Rob Leather, and doctor, Harjinder Singh. Having recently bowled with a tennis ball, Naik will soon deliver a cricket ball again.
He said: "I'm delighted that Leicestershire offered me a contract and I am looking forward to the 2014 season already. I want to take a lot of wickets and have success as a team at Leicestershire. We are all working hard to make sure we have a good season.
"Rob and Harj have been fantastic in helping me since I got the injury. The operation was done by one of the top surgeons in the UK, and I feel lucky to have had that.
"Rob has been my best friend for the last four or five months. Rob has been working hard every day with me, working on my soft tissue, getting my range of movement back and building my strength back. He has built me a programme where I am just ready to start bowling again with a cricket ball, which is really exciting.
"The injury was quite hard to take but I just had to get used to it. I have come back strongly in the past and I'm definitely going to do it again. I know where I am, and I know what I need to do to get to where I want to be.
"Experiences like this can only make you stronger. I have always said to myself that if you come back stronger from these sort of life problems, then it is always going to make you a stronger character and a better cricketer."
Leicestershire chief executive Mike Siddall added: "This is really good news. Jigar has been desperate to start bowling again and because of the excellent injury management he has received from the club's physio, Rob Leather, and doctor, Harj Singh, he has made an excellent recovery.
"I'm delighted that Jigar has signed a contract extension and we look forward to him playing a full season."