7:21pm Monday 8th March 2010
By Simon Walter
Hampshire have signed Pakistan star Abdul Razzaq as Ajantha Mendis’s replacement for this season’s Friends Provident t20.
Counties are permitted up to four overseas players in their t20 squads this season, and a maximum of two in each game, but Razzaq joins Pakistan teammate Shahid Afridi at the Rose Bowl in June and July because of Hampshire’s concerns regarding Mendis’s availability.
His firepower will give Hampshire every chance of reaching Twenty20 Finals Day for the first time.
Last summer Razzaq, a late replacement for Yasir Arafat in his country’s World Twenty20 squad, starred alongside Afridi as Pakistan won the tournament.
And as recently as a fortnight ago he produced a man-of-the-match performance as Pakistan won a Twenty20 international against England, by four wickets in Dubai.
After conceding just 17 runs from his opening four-over spell, Razzaq blasted an unbeaten 46 from just 18 balls and completed a stunning fightback by hitting Ajmal Shahzad for his fifth six as Pakistan won with an over to spare.
Since then the mercurial Razzaq has been helping the Sialkott Stallions win Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 Cup.
Razzaq, 30, also has Twenty20 experience at county level following spells with Middlesex and Surrey, for whom he smashed 65 from 34 balls against Hampshire at the Oval in 2008, albeit in a losing cause.
"Abdul is a proven match winner and can turn a game with either bat or ball," said Hampshire manager Giles White, who is also hoping to add an overseas spinner to his LV County Championship squad by the end of the week.
Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove added: "We have assembled arguably our strongest ever Twenty20 squad with the clear objective of reaching the 2010 Friends Provident t20 Finals Day at The Rose Bowl on 14th August."
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