Afridi signs for English T20 champions

The explosive all-rounder will arrive at Hampshire Royals in May for the entire Friends Provident T20 campaign.

LONDON: Big-hitting Pakistan World Cup skipper Shahid Afridi is to join English Twenty20 champions Hampshire for their 2011 campaign, the club said on Monday.

The explosive all-rounder, captaining his side at the ongoing 50-over World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will arrive at the club in May and is expected to be available for the entire Friends Provident T20 campaign.

Afridi, 30, had been due to join the Hampshire Royals last year but withdrew to resume the captaincy of the Test side, a statement on the club's website said.

"I was disappointed not to join Hampshire last season. It would have been fantastic to have been a part of the team that made history by winning the T20 trophy on home soil," Afridi said, according to the statement.

"Having played at the Rose Bowl for Pakistan last year I know that it is fast becoming one of the best places in the country to watch cricket of all levels. I hope very much to play a big part in the club’s success in 2011."

Afridi, one of the most devastating batsmen in world cricket, made his one-day debut for Pakistan aged just 16. He scored the fastest recorded ODI hundred in his maiden innings, reaching 100 runs off only 37 balls.

Afridi, who has played 312 one-day internationals and 27 Tests, was named player of the tournament in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 and was part of the Pakistan side that won the 2009 title in England.

"Shahid is a wonderful all-round cricketer and will be a real asset to our club over what should be an incredibly exciting summer at the Rose Bowl," said Hampshire manager Giles White.

He joins Imran Tahir as the second of Hampshire’s two permitted overseas signings eligible to play in the competition.