Sunday 5 April 2015 09:58, UK
Sri Lanka spinner Sachithra Senanayake has been taken on by Worcestershire as an early season overseas replacement for Saeed Ajmal.
Ajmal is set to to miss the first half of the campaign after being called up by Pakistan for their tour of Bangladesh, leading the Pears to make a move for Senanayake.
The 30-year-old has played in 45 one-day internationals, 17 T20 internationals and one Test for his country.
Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: "With Saeed Ajmal's situation, it is always difficult with so much international cricket being played around the world and suddenly tours do come around.
I try to sign hungry players because if they've got a desire to succeed and improve themselves then they are the right person for Worcestershire
"The one of Bangladesh is a late agreement to tour so it meant we've had to find a replacement.
"But we are very happy with Senanayake, a proven international player. He has played a lot of games in the shorter formats for Sri Lanka, not a lot of the Test matches, but his first class record is excellent.
"He has got a really good ratio of five-wicket hauls and, when you are looking at replacing a strike bowler like Saeed, you need someone who can take wickets - and he is proven at that."
Senanayake's only Test appearance so far was against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in December 2013.
Rhodes added: "He has got a lot to prove regarding his four-day cricket because he wants desperately to get into that Test side and he has never played in England before so there are a lot of positives about picking up a player at the right time.
"I try to sign hungry players because if they've got a desire to succeed and improve themselves then they are the right person for Worcestershire.
"We're giving him a platform of first class cricket to impress."
