Hampshire : Significant signing !

Hampshire have pulled off a significant signing by securing Shahid Afridi

for the full duration of the NatWest T20 Blast.

He previously played for the club in 2011 when Hampshire reached the semi-finals

where Afridi hit 80 off 42 balls against Somerset.

He will join the South African allrounder, Ryan McLaren, at the Ageas Bowl.

Afridi, who has revealed he is facing pressure not to retire from international T20s, will arrive

for the beginning of Hampshire's campaign in May and, unlike many other start names in the tournament

will not take his leave having not secured a Caribbean Premier League

and, for now at least, not having international commitments. 

Afridi can be classed as a significant signing but seeing as he's already played for Hampshire before, even though it was a few years ago now, I don't think it's come as much of a shock to the English cricket fans.

signifcant re : entire duration of the Blast 

I must be honest, this signing does not excite me. While he will no doubt put bums in seats, he is a shell of his former self. Not to mention, he doesn't really fit into the Hampshire side which already has two spinners in Dawson and Crane. We could really have used another seam bowler. But as Giles White mentioned, signing players to commit for the entire tournament is easier said than done.