Sussex bound; England bound? © AFP Enlarge

Saqlain Mushtaq, the former Pakistan offspinner, has signed a two-year contract with Sussex and will play for the county this season as an EU qualified player.

Saqlain, who holds a British passport, has been signed by Sussex initially to cover for Mushtaq Ahmed, the legspinner, who is committed to Pakistan as their assistant coach for next month's World Cup in the Caribbean.

"I am very much looking forward to at least the next two years with Sussex with great ambition and determination having spent the majority of the last three years out of the game," Saqlain said.

After playing against India in 2004, he broke down with a chronic knee injury effectively ending his international career, one in which he took 208 Test wickets and 288 in one-dayers. Since then he has represented Surrey and Ireland.

"The option of the two Mushtaqs bowling in tandem is a mouth-watering prospect," Mark Robinson, Sussex's Professional Cricket Manager said. "Saqlain is only 30 and we hope with the right care and attention from our support staff he will have a long and successful new chapter of his career."

He will also qualify to play for England in 2008 and Chris Adams, the Sussex captain, refuses to rule out the possibility of Saqlain donning an England shirt in the future.

"If Saqlain can emulate even half of what Mushtaq has achieved," he said, "then not only will we have allowed him to rediscover his form and presumably his happiness with his game and his cricket, but I am certain that if that's the case the England selectors will be watching very closely.

"I would like to add that whilst I am sure there is much hard work ahead for Saqlain he will bring an enormous amount of experience to the squad and with young spinners like Ollie Rayner and Tom Smith that can only help them advance their own games and quest for first-class cricket, watching and learning alongside a true master."