Speaking with PakPassion.net, 30 year old Pakistani all rounder Yasir Arafat expressed his delight at joining Lancashire Cricket Club for this season’s Friends Life T20 competition.

By Saj Sadiq (2nd May, 2012)

 

Lancashire county cricket club have signed 30 year old Pakistani all rounder Yasir Arafat for this season’s Friends Life T20 competition.

Arafat has previously featured in the competition for Kent, Sussex and last season played for Surrey and will feature alongside fellow Pakistani Junaid Khan in this season’s twenty over campaign for the Manchester based club.

Lancashire were beaten semi finalists last season on finals day at Edgbaston in the Friends life T20 tournament and will be looking to go one better with the signing of the experienced Rawalpindi born Arafat who has played domestic twenty over cricket in New Zealand, South Africa and recently in Bangladesh, in addition to several seasons in England.

Arafat has accumulated 148 wickets in the twenty over format in 126 matches and will be available for Lancashire throughout the Friends Life T20 competition which commences in June.

Speaking with PakPassion.net Arafat stated “I’m really pleased and excited at signing for such a famous team such as Lancashire. They have a history of winning tournaments and I hope I can perform well for them and help them do well in the Friends Life T20 competition this season. Lancashire is a strong all round side with some very experienced cricketers as well as young, up and coming players and has a very good coach in Peter Moores. This opportunity is a fantastic one and I had no hesitation in signing for Lancashire.”

Arafat last played for Pakistan more than 2 years ago and he hopes that from a personal perspective a good all round performance for Lancashire could possibly catch the eye of the selectors back home in Pakistan.

“I’ve been out of favour with the national side for more than 2 years and all I can do is to try and perform well and to attempt to impress the selection committee. I recently played in the domestic twenty over tournament in Rawalpindi and have now been given an opportunity by Lancashire to once again play in English county cricket. I will of course give 100% effort and would dearly love to play in the twenty20 world cup later this year.”