Yasir Arafat moves back to Somerset on loan

YASIR Arafat has returned to Somerset having signed a season-long loan from Hampshire as a non-overseas player.

Arafat, 34, has a UK passport and previously played for Somerset in their twenty20 campain in 2013. He made 22 first-team appearances for Hampshire last year.

The all-rounder has a vast amount of experience in England having also played for Sussex, Kent, Surrey and Lancashire and is available for all Somerset’s limited-overs games this summer.

Somerset director of cricket Matt Maynard said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured the services of another world-class player. Hampshire signed Reece Topley from Essex and felt Yasir would not play a huge amount for them. The agreement was reached, it works well for both parties and there is no recall from them either.

“We are really pleased Yasir is returning. He made quite an impression when he was last here and we are looking forward to seeing him do what he does best in a Somerset shirt.”