Surrey sign India spinner Pragyan Ojha
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Surrey have signed India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha for the remainder of the season.
The 24-year-old has featured 33 times for his country and looks set to make his Surrey debut against Leicestershire in the County Championship on Tuesday.
Surrey manager Chris Adams said: "We did our homework on him with Anil Kumble and he rates him very highly.
"He said sign him, bring him here, he'll be great. It's a great opportunity for both parties."
Adams admitted that he had thought Ojha, who also represents Deccan Chargers, would return to India but was now delighted to have him with the squad for the remainder of the side's season.
"We'd hoped to get him to join us before the Kent game but he got a call up to the Test game [against England] after the injury to Harbhajan Singh.
"I thought the opportunity had gone and he'd head back to India with so little time left.
"But late yesterday we got word he was still very keen and we managed to turn the paperwork round in time so he joins us in the squad."
Ojha made his Test debut for India in 2009, and has gone on to make 11 Test appearances.
During his time with the Chargers he has taken 62 wickets in the Indian Premier League, at an average of 22.19, and Adams said he believed the Orissa-born player would make an immediate impact for Surrey.
"It's terrific news. We've been talking for a long time about getting a world class spinner into the side to complement everything else and it looks like finally we're going to get that luxury so hopefully he'll make a difference."
