Maharoof signs for Lancashire

Lancashire have signed the Sri Lanka allrounder Farveez Maharoof for the 2011 domestic season and the club expect him to be available for the whole summer after he drifted out of the national side.

Maharoof, 26, played the last of his 94 ODIs last June against India and missed out on a place at the World Cup. He has also appeared in 20 Tests, but the last of those was in 2007 so he's unlikely to come into consideration for Sri Lanka's tour of England.

"I am really looking to playing for such a great club like Lancashire and excited by the challenge of contributing towards a successful season," Maharoof said." "I've had a good domestic season in Sri Lanka and I believe a season of county cricket will be a fantastic learning experience that will help me develop as a player."

Lancashire were preparing to go without an overseas player for the season due to the mounting legal costs of getting their planning application for Old Trafford approved, but a major hurdle was cleared last week when they were given the go-ahead to begin the development work.

"Farveez has a track record of getting important runs and picking up vital wickets. He's available to us for the full season and will be a competitive addition to our squad," Peter Moores, the Lancashire coach, said.

In first-class cricket Maharoof has three centuries to go alongside a bowling average of 32.28 and he should also be a useful player in Twenty20 where his economy is 7.40.

Lancashire begin their season with a match against Oxford University on April 2 before their opening Championship match against Sussex, at Liverpool, on April 8.