Friday 7 July 2017 23:16, UK
Essex have signed Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal for eight matches of this summer's NatWest T20 Blast.
The 28-year-old opener will join up with the squad ahead of Sunday's trip to Beckenham to face Kent. He has played 49 Tests, as well as 173 ODIs and 56 T20 Internationals.
He has a career T20 strike rate of close to 120, and will provide an explosive addition to the top order in Chelmsford.
The left-hander was a member of the Bangladesh side during the recent Champions Trophy tournament in England against whom he scored a hundred.
Essex Eagles head coach Chris Silverwood said: "Tamim has shown how good a player he is in the recent Champions Trophy.
"As a batsman he is capable of being destructive and that is reflected in his strike rate.
"We identified the opening berth as an area we wanted to strengthen and we are thrilled to get a player of Tamim's calibre into the club.
"He will bolster the side for eight games and we look forward to his arrival."
The player himself added: "I have played plenty of cricket with and against the likes of Ravi Bopara, Ryan ten Doeschate and Ashar Zaidi, so I'm sure it will be an environment I will settle into quickly."
