As Surrey head into their next Twenty20 match against Hampshire this afternoon, they are also keeping their eye on the second half of the Championship season with a view to lifting their performance in the four day game.

To this end, the Club have signed India’s most successful off spin bowler, and former Surrey spinner, Harbhajan Singh. “The Turbinator” played for Surrey in 2005, and will be joining the Club again on July 2.

Alan Butcher, Cricket Manager for Surrey County Cricket Club, is pleased with his new signing. “Let’s be honest, Surrey haven’t had the start to the season that we would like, and we feel that a world class spinner is an important part of improving our 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 its clear that International duty is a distinct possibility for him later this year, so we want to be prepared.”

Harbhajan too, is excited about re-joining the Club. “This is obviously a great opportunity for me personally, 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, and really look forward to catching up with my old team mates soon.”

To listen to an interview with Alan Butcher commenting on the signing, click here.

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