Nottinghamshire signs India spinner as overseas player

Ravichandran Ashwin

(BBC) India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will join Nottinghamshire as their overseas player for six County Championship games from late June.

Ashwin, 32, will replace Australia seam bowler James Pattinson, who is expected to be part of his country’s Ashes squad from July.

Off-spinner Ashwin previously played for Worcestershire in 2017.

“It’s a good, competitive standard of cricket over there and I can’t wait to get started,” Ashwin said.

“I’m really looking forward to joining up with Nottinghamshire, to playing cricket at an iconic venue like Trent Bridge and hopefully contributing to some County Championship victories.”

Ashwin – India’s fourth highest Test wicket-taker with 342 – will start his Notts stint at home to Essex on Sunday 30 June, followed by matches against Somerset and Surrey.

He will be unavailable for Notts’ trip to Yorkshire because of international commitments with India, but is expected to return to face Kent, Warwickshire and Surrey in the final three matches of the Division One season.