Younis to rejoin Yorkshire after World Cup

LAHORE: Pakistan veteran Younis Khan will return to Yorkshire for the opening weeks of the 2015 season, the English county side announced on Saturday.

The 37-year-old first played for Yorkshire in 2007 and will return to Headingley after representing Pakistan in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

"It is a great honour to be returning to Headingley and playing for Yorkshire. This is one of the finest cricket clubs in the world," said Younis in a statement released by Yorkshire.

"I hope my experiences in the first-class game will help them maintain their position at the top of the County Championship. The County Championship is regarded as one of the best domestic competitions in the world and to test myself in English conditions can only enhance my game.”

"I´m looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and also reuniting myself with Dizzy (Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie), who I played alongside in 2007. He is a great coach and I can´t wait to work with him."

Younis scored 824 runs at an average of 48.47 in his first stint with Yorkshire, who are the reigning county champions.

Captain of the Pakistan team that won the 2009 World Twenty20 title, he has scored 8,327 runs in Tests, including a national-record 28 hundreds, and was the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket in 2014.

"We have been looking for a world-class batsman to strengthen our batting department at the start of the season," said Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon.

"Younis fits the bill and will add real quality to our top-order."

Younis will stay with Yorkshire until Australia batsman Aaron Finch joins up with the club after playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).