Pakistan captain Sarfraz signs short-term Yorkshire deal

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed has signed for Yorkshire on a short-term deal, coming in as a replacement for Australia batsman Peter Handscomb.

Handscomb’s time with Yorkshire is set to come to an end after Sunday’s T20 Blast game with Nottinghamshire.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz, who led Pakistan to ICC Champions Trophy glory last month, will take the Australian’s spot and is expected to play Yorkshire’s final five T20 Blast fixtures, as well as the knockout phase of the competition, should they qualify.

Yorkshire are top of the North Group on net run rate.

“I’ve always wanted to play county cricket so this is an exciting opportunity for me,” Sarfraz told Yorkshire’s official website.

“Yorkshire are a big club with a rich history and huge reputation and I’m proud to be following in the footsteps of other Pakistanis who have played at Headingley like Younus Khan and Inzamam-ul Haq. It’s a dream come true for me and hopefully it can help me become an even better professional.”