BREAKING: Steelbacks sign world's top T20 all-rounder Mohammad Nabi for 2021 Blast
The world's top-ranked T20 all-rounder Mohammad Nabi is a Steelback!
The experienced Afghanistan all-rounder will be a Northants player for the 2021 Vitality T20 Blast campaign, ahead of his stint for the London Spirit in the new Hundred competition.
The 35-year-old, who is number one in the current ICC T20 international rankings, brings a wealth of talent and experience of T20 cricket around the globe, having played in World Cups, the T20 Blast, the Big Bash, the IPL and more.
He has a formidable record in the shortest form of the game, having scored more than 4,000 T20 runs at a strike rate of more than 140, and also taken 267 wickets with his off-spin bowling.
Steelbacks head coach David Ripley, who will also be one of Nabi's assistant coaches at the Shane Warne-led London Spirit next summer, is understandably happy to have landed such a big signing.
“We’re delighted to welcome such a high profile T20 player as Mohammad Nabi to the club.” said Ripley.
“He has a wealth of experience from playing in so many global tournaments around the world and can completely turn a game with both bat and ball.”
Nabi, who played for the Leicestershire Foxes in the T20 Blast in 2018, said: “I’ve always enjoyed playing the Vitality Blast in England and it will be exciting to play at Northamptonshire.
“Hopefully we can do well.”
Subject to approval by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, Nabi will play for the Steelbacks for the entirety of the 2021 Vitality Blast group stages, as well as being available for any possible quarter-final following his stint with London Spirit.