Surrey sign Harbhajan

Harbhajan Singh will play for Surrey in 2005, after the Indian board consented to the deal.

The offspinner Harbhajan, 24, has played 39 Tests and 91 one-day internationals for India, and has been brought in to the side to strengthen the spin options, as Saqlain Mushtaq is still struggling to recover from two knee injuries.

"This is great news for the club," said Surrey's manager Steve Rixon. "He's one of the world's best spin bowlers, and he'll relish the sort of pitches produced here at The Oval." Harbhajan signed for Lancashire in 2003, but didn't play in the end after a recurrence of a finger injury.

Harbhajan will join Pakistan's Azhar Mahmood as Surrey's overseas players for next year. He is Steve Rixon's second major new signing of the winter, after Mohammad Akram joined from Sussex.