Dynamic Pakistani Duo to Join County Cricket

Surrey are just one brick away from completing their rebuilding process under Steve Rixon after Pakistani pair Azhar Mahmood and Mohammad Akram signed deals on Thursday.

Australian Rixon, who led New South Wales to four Sheffield Shields and a handful of one-day titles as coach, will now try to finalise the county’s second overseas signing before heading home for the winter.

With Saqlain Mushtaq requiring surgery on both knees – he missed almost all of last season – a top-class spinner is the priority.

Saqlain will not be engaged for 2005 due to injury, having spent the past seven summers in south London, and few in the world can match the quality of the 27-year-old off-spinner.

India’s Harbhajan Singh will be top of the list along with compatriot Anil Kumble but other high-class alternatives are scarce on the current world scene and availability is another problem…