Glamorgan sign Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain, has signed up to play county cricket for Glamorgan and will make his debut in the game against Sussex on June 1, subject to clearance from the Indian board. Ganguly will stay with the club to the end of July at least.

Robert Croft, the Glamorgan captain, said: "This is great news for the club and comes at a good time. We've had a difficult start to the season and although we felt it was important to look at some of the younger players in the early matches we are anticipating that Matthew Maynard will be retiring to take up a position with the ECB and we felt we had to act to strengthen the side in his absence.

"Maynard's experience is, and will be, missed, but we're determined to take a longer-term view in terms of planning for the emergence of some of the younger players coming through. In making a signing we didn't want just to `fill a vacancy'. We wanted to sign someone who not only has a proven track record but who will be looked up to in the dressing-room. Sourav will be a great asset to the team and we're looking forward to playing with him."

Glamorgan have had a dismal start to the season, losing all five Championship games so far, and there was talk earlier about VVS Laxman, Ganguly's team-mate, joining them too. But Laxman denied the reports and said that he had made up his mind not to play.

Ganguly, who represented Lancashire in 2000, and did not a make a favourable impression, may even stay beyond the end of July if the Indian board fails to overturn a ban of six one-day internationals, imposed on him during the recent series against Pakistan, owing to India's slow over-rate. "Unless the ICC overturns that ban on appeal, the player will stay with Glamorgan until the middle of August," said a club statement. "In the event that he is required back in India at the end of July, the club will reassess the position then."

Glamorgan chief exeutive Mike Fatkin said: "We're delighted to have secured Sourav's services. It appears he has been given leave to miss the Indian training camp in July, something we're expecting written confirmation on shortly, and although we are signing him on the basis of him being available until the end of July there is a strong chance that he will be with us for longer.

"It is exactly the sort of boost which the captain, coach and players require and to have secured the services of the Indian captain will not only help the team, but as one of the leading names in world cricket, he will prove an attractive draw for our members and supporters."