Cheteshwar Pujara signed up by Nottinghamshire
BCCI
Nottinghamshire has signed up Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara as cover for Australia pacer James Pattinson who has been called up for the ICC Champions Trophy in June. Pujara will be available for four County matches - two against Gloucestershire, as well as games against Glamorgan and Derbyshire.
Pujara, who has previously turned out for Derbyshire and Yorkshire, will arrive in the UK later this month, following the Royal London Cup group stage.
"We have looked around the world to find the right player," Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. "The most important thing was to sign someone with the quality to make us better, rather than limiting our options by saying it had to be a bowler.
"We have depth in our squad with regards bowling and - particularly as we'll be without Alex Hales during that [Champions Trophy] period - we're more than happy to welcome a world-class batsman to the club."
Pujara finished India's home Test season with 1316 runs at 62.66Â but was not picked by any of the IPL teams.
"I'm ready for it. I'm already working on my skills and preparing for competitive cricket," Pujara said. "I love playing county cricket and Trent Bridge is a great venue. I'm really looking forward to my first experience there as a home player. The aim is to win as many games as possible so the team stays on top of the points table."
Nottinghamshire is at the top of Division Two of the Championship after winning their opening three games. Pattinson was one of the major architects, picking up 20 wickets and scoring two half-centuries.
