Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi will join Northamptonshire for their T20 Blast campaign.

Shamsi says he is delighted to link up with the side and is eager to make a significant impact.

‘I’m delighted to be joining Northamptonshire Steelbacks this summer for the T20 Blast,’ Shamsi told the club’s website.

‘I look forward to entertaining the crowds at The County Ground and contributing to wins for the team,’ he continued.

Northants head coach David Ripley welcomed the experience Shamsi will bring to the squad.

‘We’re delighted to welcome Tabraiz to our T20 Blast squad. He is an experienced T20 player, having played both in the CPL and IPL. He is a very effective leg spinner, something I believe crucial in modern T20 cricket,’ Riply remarked.

Shamsi is no stranger to T20 events around the world, having represented the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League, and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in this year’s edition of the Indian Premier League.

He will be available for the first three matches of the tournament, before he is replaced by Seekkuge Prasanna after completion of his international duties. He will add to an already rich supply of South Africans, with Richard Levi and Rory Kleinveldt also plying their trade there.

Northants begin their T20 Blast campaign at home to Derbyshire on 7 July.

Photo: Deryck Foster/BackpagePix