Hameed signs four-year contract with Lancashire

Lancashire opening batsman Haseeb Hameed is the latest member of the team to extend their stay at Emirates Old Trafford, agreeing to a four-year contract with the Red Rose county. 

The England Under-19 joint captain featured in four Championship matches last season, as Lancashire achieved promotion to the first division. The talented young batsman recorded 257 runs in six innings, scoring 91 against Division Two champions Surrey on home soil.

"When Ash [Ashley Giles] came up and offered me the deal, I was delighted to accept it and commit my future to this club," said Hameed.

"Lancashire have shown great faith in me throughout my development and have been crucial to my progress as a cricketer. I'm still learning the game and there is no other place I would rather play my cricket than Lancashire, my home county.

"I've been at the club since being a little boy - I think I was nine when I joined - I've come through the age groups and got a taste of playing for the first team last year."

Hameed is one of many Lancashire players to commit their future to the club this winter, with Steven Croft, Alex Davies, Stephen Parry, Kyle Jarvis, Tom Bailey and Gavin Griffiths all signing new deals since the end of the 2015 season.

Hameed during his innings of 91 against Surrey at Emirates Old Trafford

Hameed, who made his Lancashire first-class debut against Glamorgan in August, seized his opportunity at the top of the order alongside Karl Brown after the club revealed that they would not be renewing Paul Horton's contract.

The talented batsman, born in Bolton, averaged 42.83 in four-day cricket, but he is yet to make an appearance in white-ball cricket. Hameed may only have played a handful of matches for Lancashire last season, but he has already impressed the Old Trafford faithful.

His determination at the crease makes him a dependable opening batsman and he overcame his tender age against Surrey at Old Trafford with a defiant innings of 91 from 234 deliveries, although this only delayed the inevitable, as Surrey lifted the Division Two title.

Lancashire's Director of Cricket, Ashley Giles, believes that his resilience at the crease will allow him to compete in the first division this summer and expressed his desire to retain young cricketers in the future.

Giles said: "He really impressed me in the four first-class games he played last year and he showed that he has an experienced head on young shoulders.

"We have now been able to retain a number of our young, home-grown cricketers on long-term contracts. This is hugely important to us as a club as they represent the future of Lancashire cricket."