Middlesex sign Chris Green for first half of T20 Blast

His signing will fill the void left by Mujeeb Ur Rahman, whose arrival has been delayed by visa issues and complications related to his travel from Kabul to London

Middlesex have signed Australian off-spinner Chris Green for the first half of the T20 Blast.

His signing will fill the void left by Mujeeb Ur Rahman, whose arrival has been delayed by visa issues and complications related to his travel from Kabul to London, given Afghanistan’s coronavirus status as a red-listed country.

Mujeeb will still join the club, but for the second half of the tournament – he is expected to be available for the last seven group games.

Green, 27, has played in T20 competitions all over the world, including stints with Sydney Thunder, Kolkata Knight Riders, Guyana Amazon Warriors and Birmingham Bears. He has claimed 87 wickets in his T20 career to date.

Middlesex head coach Stuart Law said: “Chris is an experienced performer in T20 cricket and has played in tournaments all over the world.

“He has had a huge impact at Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash for a few years now and I look forward to him bringing that wealth of experience here to Middlesex.

“Dealing with Covid has caused us a few headaches, but Chris will slot in nicely to cover for Mujeeb until his arrival.”

Green added: “I am really chuffed to be joining Middlesex and I am excited to meet up with the rest of the squad and get stuck into training with the Blast starting soon. I have really enjoyed my previous experiences playing in England and I am looking forward to playing at Lords for the first time.”

He joins a squad already featuring leg-spinners Nathan Sowter and Luke Hollman and left-arm spinner Thilan Walallawita, while New Zealand allrounder Daryl Mitchell has been confirmed as the county’s second overseas player. He replaced Green’s compatriot Mitchell Marsh.