THE chairman of the club where Sohail Tanvir last experienced an English summer believes Hampshire have made a shrewd signing.

Tanvir spent the 2006 season playing in the North Staffs & South Cheshire League for Haslington CC, scoring 600-plus runs and taking 67 wickets – with a best performance of 8 for 59.

He played two World Twenty20 matches for Pakistan at Lord’s the following year but, having not been granted permission by the Pakistan Cricket Board to play county cricket with Hampshire, Kent Worcestershire or Surrey before, it is seven years since his only previous stint with an English club.

“He was a great asset to us,” said Haslington CC chairman Jon Gledhill. “He was obviously quicker than most in our league, very slippery. In terms of our pace he was similar to Aizaz Cheema, who has also played Test cricket since playing in our league.

“But his action is the first thing you notice, seeing it for the first time was very strange. It was very hard for opposition batsmen to pick the ball up when they first faced him – and our wicketkeeper!

“It doesn’t look like the right way to bowl, he’s not looking at the batsman for a start, but it works for him and it’s very effective!

“I used to hold up an end while he did the business at the other!”

Other big names to have played in the North Staffs & South Cheshire League include Imran Tahir, who famously continued to play for Moddershall CC when his Hampshire commitments allowed in 2008, Derbyshire star Dan Redfearn and former England batsman Rob Bailey, now best known as an umpire.

“During the week he did his own thing but he also did the normal club coaching you’d expect from an overseas pro,” added Gledhill.

“We were fortunate to have him and have followed his career ever since.”

If Tanvir helps Hampshire reach their fourth successive Friends Life t20 Finals Day, expect Haslington send their own supporters’ club up the road to Edgbaston on August 17.