Lancashire sign Jayawardene as non-overseas player

Lancashire have signed Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jayawardene for this year's NatWest T20 Blast as a non-overseas player.

Jayawardene qualifies by virtue of his Danish wife, Christina.

He is available for the whole competition, including the knockout stages, and will join up with the squad in July.

After retiring from international cricket in 2015, Jayawardene has featured in T20 leagues around the world as a player and mentor. He has previously played in the NatWest T20 Blast with Sussex and Somerset, and is currently head coach of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

Glen Chapple, Lancashire's head coach, said: "Mahela is a truly world-class batsman who scores runs all around the wicket. He's a true competitor and a winner too, and I'm thrilled to be able to bring him into our squad for the NatWest T20 Blast later this summer.

"He is a legend of the game and is one of the greatest batsman to have played cricket in the modern era. It will be a fantastic opportunity for our young players to learn off him."

Jayawardene said: "I haven't won the NatWest T20 Blast in my career and it's a trophy I'd love to experience success in this summer."

He has played in 149 Tests, scoring nearly 12,000 runs at an average of just below 50, whilst he has made 448 ODI appearances as well as 55 IT20 matches.

Lancashire's T20 Blast Roses clash against Yorkshire at Old Trafford is fast heading for a sell-out with 16,000 tickets already snapped up and there has also been a healthy rush for season tickets - starting from just £70 for all seven home fixtures - which suggests that the Blast is proving resilient amid talk of an additional regional tournament from 2020.