Tahir joins Yorkshire

Imran will join compatriot Inzamam-ul-Haq at Headingley and his arrival has been facilitated by the late arrival back of Australian Jason Gillespie from a training camp in Brisbane meaning he will be the Tykes' second overseas player for that period.

Imran has been named in the squad for Wednesday's clash with Warwickshire at Scarborough and director of cricket Martyn Moxon told the Yorkshire Post: "We just feel that he's an excellent bowler and someone who can come in and do a good job for us."

He added: "Imran has played for Pakistan A and is on the fringes of the full Pakistan side and is basically the understudy of Danish Kaneria.

"I've had good reports about him from Younus Khan and also from Jacques Rudolph, who has played against him, so he's coming here on good recommendations."

With Gillespie only returning midway through the game and Mark Lawson also absent for "personal reasons", it means the former Middlesex player will be available for the game with Sussex at Hove at the start of next month.

Moxon added: "If you look at the statistics, Imran's first-class record is pretty outstanding and with Mark Lawson not available, and with the match at Hove looming large on the horizon, we felt we needed strengthening in the spin bowling department and Imran will just give us that bit more experience and mystery.

"We will see what the pitch is like before whether or not to play him at Scarborough but we believe we've signed an excellent player and it's great to get a cricketer of his quality on board."