Surrey re-sign Harbhajan

Twenty20 / Editor / 24 June 2007 / Leave a Comment

Surrey have announced the re-signing of India prolific off-spin bowler Harbhajan Singh for the remainder of the season.

The 26-year-old was recently left out of India's national team to face England in three Tests and seven one-day internationals later this summer, which prompted Surrey to re-sign him.

Harbhajan, who previously played for Surrey in 2005, will join the club on July 2 and says he is looking forward to make his appearances count.

Harbhajan said: "This is obviously a great opportunity and I can't wait to get out there and play some great cricket for Surrey.

"I want to make every performance count, with both bat and ball."

Surrey's cricket manager Alan Butcher says he is delighted with the signing, and believes Harbhajan will be a valuable asset to his side.

Butcher added: "We feel that a world-class spinner is an important part of improving performance in the second half of the year.

"Harbhajan is a great wicket-taker and with the club expecting Azhar Mahmood to play for Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup later this year, we no longer have to worry about a possible gap in our line-up from August onwards.

"Azhar has made a great contribution to the club, and it's clear that international duty is a distinct possibility for him later this year, so we want to be prepared."

Whether Harbhajan can resurrect Surrey's evaporating County Championship title chances remains very much in doubt, as Mark Ramprakash's men have yet to win in seven games so far this season in Division One. They remain big outsiders, having been last matched at 90 to small stakes in the developing market.

However, his arrival could provide the Oval outfit with the impetus to avoid the drop, while helping them to success in the Pro 40 competition.

Surrey currently head the emerging market at 3.2 to finish as the winners of Division Two in the one-day competition, ahead of Somerset at 5 and Kent at 6.8.