Amar Virdi joins Somerset from Surrey on short-term loan deal

Amar Virdi, the Surrey offspinner, has joined Somerset on a short-term loan, and will be available for the club's trip to face Lancashire at Southport, starting on Monday.

Virdi, whose prowess has earned him England Lions recognition, has been surplus to Surrey's requirements this season, with their new head coach, Gareth Batty, preferring to hone the allround skills of Will Jacks as the team's premier offspinner.

Now, however, with Jack Leach unavailable to Somerset due to his England involvement, Somerset's director of cricket, Andy Hurry, has seen Virdi, 23, as the ideal stand-in.

"Jack Leach is unavailable for the match against Lancashire, and with Amar currently not playing First XI cricket, we felt he could add real balance to our team at Southport," Hurry said.

"Having previously worked with him within the England U19 programme, and with Jason having worked with him with England Lions, we have a strong awareness of his ability with the ball and his character. He is a quality spinner with genuine international aspirations, and we are delighted to be able to welcome him into our environment."

Virdi made his County Championship debut against Essex in 2017 and featured in 40 first-class matches to date, claiming 123 wickets at an average of 29.73. His best match figures of 14 for 139 came against Nottinghamshire in 2019.