Piyush Chawla signs up with Sussex

Piyush Chawla, the Indian legspinner, has signed up with Sussex as Pakistan medium-pacer Yasir Arafat's replacement till at least the end of the month.

This will be the first county stint for Chawla, who is expected to debut in the Championship match against Worcestershire on Thursday. Sussex have had a rough time in the Championship so far, with no wins after four games.

Mark Robinson, Sussex's professional cricket manager, welcomed Chawla's entry. "We've been looking for a bowler who can potentially change the course of a game and we're sure Piyush will fit the bill," he said. "Legspinners have proven success not only at our club but in county cricket across the board."

Chawla has played two Tests and 21 ODIs but last represented India nearly a year ago, with legspinner Amit Mishra and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha having leapfrogged him in the race for the slow-bowling spot behind Harbhajan Singh.