Blackpool Cricket Club sign highly-rated Indian Shivam Chaudhary as 2023 professional

The 25-year-old, who plays for the Railways club in New Delhi, is a right-hand bat and off-spinner.

A former India Under-23 international, Chaudhary has 14 first-class and 23 List A matches under his belt and is fresh from an excellent month of T20 cricket in his homeland, with scores of 40, 62, 70 and most recently 84 not out in his last five innings.

Blackpool captain Paul Danson told The Gazette: “It will be his first time over here and he comes highly recommended.

“He is a genuine all-rounder and has hit the ground running in his domestic T20.

“We had to act quickly because there was a lot of interest in him.”

By signing their next pro so early, Blackpool hope to avoid a repeat of this year's problems – Chaudhary's compatriot Shivam Chauhan missed almost half the season waiting for his work visa to be processed.

And the defending Northern Premier League champions would ultimately have to settle for runners-up spot behind Garstang.