/ 5 October 2009

Panesar signs deal with Highveld Lions

England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar has signed a deal with South African franchise the Highveld Lions to play in the country’s SuperSport Series, the team said on Monday.

The 27-year-old Panesar, who has taken 126 wickets in 39 Tests, was dropped from the England and Wales Cricket Board’s list of centrally contracted players earlier this month, having slipped down the pecking order behind fellow spinners Graeme Swann and Adil Rashid.

England tour South Africa starting in November, with the first of four Tests starting in December. — Reuters