Wigan skipper Hampson looks for players to step up after IPL star Ashutosh Sharma heads home

Delhi Capitals batter Ashutosh Sharma

Wigan have not had much luck with their overseas pros this season – but skipper Jordan Hampson hopes that meanss the rest of his side can step up.

Big-hitting IPL star Ashutosh Sharma, signed amid great fanfare following a madcap dash across continents, has had to return home to India for personal family reasons.

In doing so, he follows in the footsteps of Shubham Khajuria, who was in the overseas slot at the start of the year.

Sharma played seven league games, and Khajuria five; they are numbers one and two in Wigan’s run charts, with young prospect Aveen Dalugoda two runs behind Khajuria from 12 innings.

With no time to sign a replacement, Hampson knows the rest of his side have to step up as they aim to stay clear of the Premier Division relegation zone.

He said: “It is what it is, you can’t control these things. Ashutosh needed to go back.

“It was fun to watch when he got going. He wasn’t in for a long time but it was always quick scoring.

“Hopefully everyone will just step up now and take on the responsibility.

“Sometimes when you’ve got a pro to rely on, people can give up a bit, like they think the pro will get the runs. 

“Now we’ve not got one, people will step up.”

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Wigan’s top order still has players of the calibre of Aaron Redmond and Charles Taylor, as well as Dan Yates, who top-scored with 63 in last Saturday’s scores-level draw at Newton-le-Willows. 

Hampson’s declaration on 212/7 was a bold one in a mustn’t-lose game against a side in a similar boat, and boasting the talents of Lancashire’s George Bell. He couldn’t have timed it better, it turned out. 

The skipper said: “We knew we had to bat a bit longer because we knew they had that power in their batting.

“Chris Riley, the umpire, said we made it the perfect game – they could have won, we could have won, and in the end we’ve drawn with the same score.”

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Wigan are currently third-bottom – 10 points clear of Colwyn Bay and a further seven ahead of Birkenhead Park.

If they could choose games to have coming up in this situation, it would probably not be a trip to Rainford followed by the visit of leaders Ormskirk; however, they can’t choose.

“It’s two tough games coming up,” said Hampson. 

“It’ll definitely be a chance to see who actually takes on the responsibility.

“It’s just a case of carrying and seeing where we get to, putting no pressure on ourselves, but just trying our best.”

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