Afzaal makes Oval move

Surrey have signed former England batsman Usman Afzaal from Northamptonshire for next season.

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Surrey have signed former England batsman Usman Afzaal from Northamptonshire for next season. Afzaal, 30, has inked a three-year deal at the Oval and is hoping to re-ignite his international career, having made the last of three Test appearances six years ago. "I want to continue to learn more about myself and my game and feel a new challenge, in a new environment will help me achieve this," said Afzaal, who has scored more than 11,000 first class runs during an itinerant career that began with Nottinghamshire. "To learn from and play with the likes of Alan and Mark Butcher and Mark Ramprakash will be an honour and something I'm looking forward to. "My dream is to play more cricket for England and I see this move to Surrey - where I will be under pressure to prove myself in a quality side - as a stepping stone to being recognised by the English selectors once more." Surrey cricket manager Alan Butcher added: "With some of our top batsmen nearing the end of their careers, it was important for us to acquire a proven and experienced player approaching his prime. "I believe Usman to be ambitious, both for himself and for the Club and think that he has vital parts to play as the rebuilding of the team continues."