He will be available in all formats until the end of the T20 Blast group stages subject to NOC clearance. © Getty

Northamptonshire county club has re-signed Pakistan all-rounder Faheem Ashraf for the first half of the 2020 season. He will be available in all formats until the end of the T20 Blast group stages subject to NOC clearance.

Ashraf, 25, played in the 2019 T20 Blast, picking 11 wickets at an average of 19 and finishing as the club's joint-leading wicket-taker.

"I think he's definitely a genuine allrounder, he's a very good batsman and though we didn't get to see him bat too many times in the T20 we know he'll slot in well," said red-ball captain Adam Rossington.

"He's very skilful and offers something a little bit different to the bowlers we've got. It does tend to be a bit more bowler-friendly here than in Pakistan, particularly with the Dukes ball so hopefully early season there'll be a bit in the wickets for him."

Northamptonshire already have Ben Sanderson and Brett Hutton , who had nearly 100 wickets between them this season. David Ripley, the head coach, is hoping Faheem will be a good addition to the duo.

"The fact he's got the extra pace is key, we've got a very fine group of seam bowlers that got us into Division 1 and that's not going to change. But when it's a bit flatter and it's the last 2 days of the game and that little bit of nip has gone out of the wicket, someone with a bit of pace and swing and bowling yorkers then I can see him being a genuine threat when the wickets are flatter." said Ripley.

"What the seam bowlers in Pakistan tend to have to do is find a way to get people out when those wickets are very flat and pretty slow. That's with swing, that's with Yorkers and bouncers, that's with reverse swing."