LONDON: Yorkshire have signed Indian Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara until the end of May after cancelling the contract of Younis Khan, the English county champions announced on Wednesday.

Veteran batsman Younis was due to be Yorkshire’s overseas player for 2015, but his desire to join Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh has effectively ruled him out of the County Championship, opening the door for Pujara.

“I was looking to return to the UK after my previous experience of county cricket, which I greatly enjoyed,” said 27-year-old Pujara, who scored 219 runs for Derb­yshire last season.

“When Yorkshire made the offer, I didn’t think twice. To wear the same white rose Sachin Tendulkar did is going to be a great feeling for me.”

Pujara, who has scored nearly 9,000 first-class runs, will be available for Yorkshire until Australian Aaron Finch returns from playing in the Indian Premier League.

“We have moved quickly to bring in Pujara and he is a superb player,” Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon told the club’s website.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2015

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