Tamim, Steven Smith re-signed by Pune Warriors

Tamim Iqbal and Steven Smith have been re-signed by the IPL franchise, Pune Warriors, after both were released in November 2012.

Tamim and Smith, both went unsold in the 2012 IPL auction but were signed later as injury replacements, because of which they had to be released by Warriors in November. Since injury replacements have the option of being re-signed by the franchise, they will now be a part of Warriors' squad in 2013 too.

This will be the second IPL tournament for Tamim, but he hopes to get more game time after not making it to the playing XI in even a single game last season.

"I signed the contract before I went to play in New Zealand [in early December]," Tamim told ESPNcricinfo. "It is a one-year contract because there is the players' auction coming up next year."

Tamim had originally been signed up for Warriors in March last year, but wasn't picked for any of the matches though he was available for all but two of the games. At that time he had called his first foray with the IPL an educational experience but this time, Tamim said, it will be all about scoring runs.

"I am more determined to perform this year," he said. "Last time when I had returned home, people didn't ask me how I was. They asked me why I didn't get a game.

"This time I think I will have more opportunity to play because the franchise has released a lot of players. All I want to do now is make runs in the IPL, it will enhance my reputation in Twenty20s."

Tamim played in the Sri Lanka Premier League for Wayamba Wolves where he averaged 38 in six games. He also played in New Zealand's domestic Twenty20 tournament for Wellington, scoring at a similar average in six games. In the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, he has scored two half-centuries for Duronto Rajshahi.

Smith on the other hand, played 15 matches for Warriors last season and scored 362 runs at an average of 40.22 but hardly bowled in those matches.

He was a part of Sydney Sixers' victorious campaign in the Champions League T20 in in South Africa, where he scored 95 runs in four innings. In the Big Bash League in Australia, Smith had a better outing with 169 runs from six innings.