Panesar signs for Sussex

Sharks hoping spinner can help them achieve four-day promotion

Last updated: 17th November 2009  

Panesar signs for Sussex

Panesar: Heading to Hove

What we haven't got is a frontline spinner and Monty fits the bill.

Mark Robinson
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Sussex have announced the signing of England spinner Monty Panesar on a three-year contract.

The 27-year-old heads to Hove from Northamptonshire after a disappointing 2009 campaign that saw him pick up just 18 first-class wickets.

He also lost his central contract with England after appearing in just one Test during the summer - helping the hosts bat out for a draw at Cardiff in the series opener against Australia.

Panesar, who is currently playing for Highveld Lions in South Africa, is hoping the move will help him get his international career back on track.

"I am extremely grateful to Northamptonshire for all their support in my career so far and also for allowing me to make this move," he said on Sussex's official website.

"I know Michael Yardy well from rooming with him on tour, so I am really looking forward to working under his captaincy and with the coaching staff at Hove to help the club reclaim its Division One status and maintain its premier position in the shorter forms of the game.

Excited

"Success in this new challenge with Sussex can only improve my chances of reclaiming my place in the England standings, which is the pinnacle for any player."

Panesar's arrives at Sussex after a mixed season for his new employers. Although the Sharks did claim the Twenty20 Cup, they went on to suffer relegation from Division One of the LV County Championship.

"I am very excited about the prospect of Monty joining us from 2010," director of cricket Mark Robinson said.

"It is a testament to the club that we are able to attract a player of Monty's calibre and I am sure he will play a key part in helping us achieve our aims for the coming season.

"What we haven't got is a frontline spinner and Monty fits the bill.

"We want people who can change the course of a game - and people who can spin the ball hard and away from the bat probably fit into that category.

"Monty can come on when a game is going nowhere and, by the strength of his skill, completely change its complexion."

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