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Derbyshire have roped in Pakistan spinner Sufiyan Muqeem for the 2026 T20 Blast campaign.
The 26-year-old Muqeem will play the first half of the season — six matches before Afghanistan spin AM Ghazanfar replaces him.
Sufiyan has taken 27 wickets in T20Is and eight in ODIs across 23 international appearances for Pakistan.
Following the signing, Derbyshire head of cricket Mickey Arthur expressed his views and revealed the reason behind the signing of two spinners.
“Signing overseas players with so many tournaments overlapping can be difficult, so we’ve done well to sign two current international spinners to ensure we have balance in our squad through the whole campaign,” he said.
Arthur called Muqeem a ‘gem’ and praise AM Ghazanfar exposure around the globe.
“Sufiyan is a rising star in T20 cricket, and I’ve had the pleasure of working with him before. I’ve seen his skill and resilience under pressure firsthand,” Arthur added.
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Meanwhile, Sufiyan expressed his excited on joining Derbyshire and working with Mickey Arthur again.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Falcons and working with Mickey again. He’s a fantastic coach, and I can’t wait to experience playing cricket in England,” Muqeem said.
For those unaware, the 18 team tournament will be played from 22 May to 18 July.
The teams have been divided into three groups of six and each county will play 12 matches, six at home and six away.
Derbyshire will play their opening T20 Blast game at home to Durham on 22 May.
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