Sussex swoop for Arafat

28 October 2008

Yasir Arafat took 41 wickets last time he played for Sussex © Getty Images

Sussex have signed Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat for the 2009 season.

It will be the second spell at the club for the 26-year-old who was a pivotal member of the team who won the County Championship and NatWest Trophy double in 2006.

Yasir took 41 wickets while filling in for the injured Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.

He spent last season at Kent, where he took 38 first-class wickets in 12 games at an average of 29.07.

The Rawalpindi-born player was Kent’s leading wicket-taker in both one-day and Twenty20 cricket, taking 27 wickets at an average of 17.74 runs in the former and 23 at an average of 14.82 in Twenty20.

Mark Robinson, Sussex’s professional cricket manager, said: “Yasir’s signing is fantastic news and we are flattered that he is keen to return to Hove.

“It’s further evidence that people who play for the club fall in love with it.

“He’s not only an outstanding new and old ball bowler, but a fantastic lower-middle order batsman, who should stand out in both our four and one-day cricket.”