Bangladesh's all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan made his first appearance for Surrey on Monday in their match against Somerset.
West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach presented Shakib with his debut cap. Surrey are currently without eight players due to their commitments with the England team, including Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith, Dan Lawrence, and Gus Atkinson, who are all involved in Test matches.
Alec Stewart, Surrey's director of cricket, explained that signing a player of Shakib's calibre was an easy decision when the opportunity arose.
Stewart mentioned that they had anticipated this fixture would see a significant number of players away on England duty, particularly missing two of their spinning all-rounders.
Shakib brings extensive experience and exceptional skills with both bat and ball, and Surrey are excited to see his impact on the team.
In Test cricket, Shakib has scored over 4,500 runs at an average of 38 and has taken nearly 250 wickets.
In international cricket, he has accumulated over 14,000 runs and taken 700 wickets, making him Bangladesh's leading wicket-taker in Test, ODI, and Twenty20 formats.
Surrey's director of cricket, Alec Stewart, commented on Shakib's arrival, stating that when the opportunity to sign a player of Shakib's calibre arose, it was an easy decision.
Stewart noted that they had anticipated this fixture would see a significant number of players away on England duty, particularly missing two of their spinning all-rounders.
In Test cricket, Shakib has amassed over 4,500 runs at an average of 38 and has taken nearly 250 wickets. In international cricket, he has scored over 14,000 runs and taken 700 wickets, making him Bangladesh's leading wicket-taker in Test, ODI, and Twenty20 formats.
Caption: Shakib Al Hasan (L) receives his Surrey cap from Alec Stewart before the County Championship match against Somerset in Taunton on Monday. Photo: Collected
