Younis Khan will become Yorkshire's first ever Pakistani player after signing a one-year contract with the county side.
Younis, who captained Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy before their defeat to South Africa this afternoon, will join up with Yorkshire in April, after next year's World Cup. His signing was made possible by additional funding from ABDN, the Minority Ethnic Enterprise Network, a business-support group set up by Asian entrepreneurs.
"Without doubt, Younis Khan is one of the leading batsmen in the world," said Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan. "And we are delighted to have secured his signature. The deal would not have been possible without the financial support of ABDN, and we are extremely grateful for their assistance."
Yorkshire has the largest Pakistani population outside London in Britain, and Regan hopes the signing will enable the club to engage further with the Asian community. "We hope this signing will act as a catalyst for the club to strengthen links with the significant Asian presence in Yorkshire," he added. "We look forward to generating additional support in 2007 and beyond."
Younis has already played for his country at Headingley, winning the man-of-the-match award in the third Test defeat to England this summer after scoring 173 in Pakistan's first innings. "I know that players like Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard play at Yorkshire," said Younis. "And also legends such as Geoffrey Boycott and Sir Leonard Hutton played there. It will be an honour to follow these cricketers, and play at Headingley Carnegie."
ABDN president Arshad Chaudhry added: "Younis Khan's involvement with Yorkshire cricket will provide great impetus for the game within the large Asian community in the region. We are excited about this joint venture, which is the first of its kind.
"We feel that it will help to shed the image of Yorkshire County Cricket Club as an old-fashioned club. This opening of its doors will be welcomed by the Asian community, who are keen to get involved with Yorkshire cricket."
