Yorkshire sign star Pakistan batter for remainder of 2025 season

Yorkshire County Cricket Club has announced the signing of Pakistani opener Imam-ul-Haq as their overseas player for the rest of the 2025 season.

The 29-year-old left-handed batter will be available immediately and is set to play in Yorkshire’s upcoming County Championship match against Surrey at Scarborough. He will also take part in the Metro Bank One Day Cup and the remaining games of the Rothesay County Championship in September.

Imam, who is the nephew of former Pakistan legend Inzamam-ul-Haq, has a strong first-class batting average of 43.27. He recently led Pakistan Television to a title win in the President’s Cup first-class tournament held in March this year.

Yorkshire’s General Manager of Cricket, Gavin Hamilton, welcomed the arrival of Imam and said the team is looking forward to his contribution.

“We’re delighted that Imam has joined us and that he will be available immediately. Whilst we were naturally disappointed that Ruturaj couldn’t join up with the squad, in Imam we have an exceptional player of proven international quality,” Hamilton said.

“Imam has an impressive record and is already familiar with domestic cricket in this country which will stand us in good stead for a crucial block of fixtures. We are grateful for the speed in which he has arrived in the country and everyone at the Club is looking forward to working with him through until the end of the season,” he added. 

Although Imam has recently been out of Pakistan’s red-ball team due to a drop in form, he brings plenty of international experience. He has played 24 Test matches for Pakistan, scoring 1,568 runs at an average of 37.33, with three centuries and nine fifties.

In ODIs, he has featured in 75 games, scoring 3,152 runs at an impressive average of 47.04, including nine hundreds and 20 half-centuries. His T20I career includes just two appearances.

Imam last played for Pakistan during the ODI series against New Zealand in April. His most recent Test was in 2023 against Australia, while his last T20I came in 2019.