Middlesex sign Umesh Yadav as Shaheen Afridi's replacement

Middlesex has signed Indian pacer Umesh Yadav as a replacement for Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi, the County side announced on Monday. Umesh has also been named in Middlesex's County Championship 2022 match against Worcestershire which will be his debut in the competition.

According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, Umesh was earlier supposed to play five Championship games starting from next week. But Afridi's departure for Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka and delay in visa clearance resulted in Umesh named in the squad with immediate effect.

Umesh has played 52 Test for India and claimed 158 wickets an average of 30.80. He is not part of India's squads for the upcoming series against West Indies and the ongoing tour of England which means he could play in Middlesex's Royal London Onde-Day Cup.

"He is a proven world-class performer and can not only make a huge difference himself for the remainder of our Championship campaign and to our prospects in the Royal London Cup but will also be a fantastic role model for our younger bowlers to work alongside," Middlesex's head of men's performance, Alan Coleman said.

"As a bowler he offers a huge amount. He delivers the ball from wide of the crease, can move the ball both ways, regularly tops 140 kph, and possesses a vicious short ball, so will be a real handful for opposition batters in English conditions," he added.

Umesh has played 75 ODIs for India and claimed 106 wickets at an average 33.63.