Foxes sign TV winner

Cricket Star

Seam bowler Sukhvir Singh will join Leicestershire after he won the Indian Cricket Star television series.

Singh, the son of a bus driver, is due to arrive at Grace Road imminently, and Leicestershire senior coach Tim Boon said: "Sukhvir will enjoy all the privileges of a professional cricketer with us.

"He will go through all the fitness testing and screening as well as practising with the squad. We hope to place him with one of our profile clubs and play him in some second team games.

"We will also be looking to integrate him into the local community, which is a key part of the strategy going forward in terms of developing closer links and raising our profile on the sub-continent."

Leicestershire recently returned from a pre-season tour of India and Sri Lanka, when they played a special Twenty20 match against the Cricket Star finalists XI in Mumbai, a side which featured Singh.

On that tour Leicestershire also signed up India left-arm seamer RP Singh as their second overseas player to accompany Pakistan all-rounder Mansoor Amjad for the 2007 season, which means the Cricket Star winner will only be eligible to play in some 2nd XI matches.

Grace Road will host India against Sri Lanka A at Grace Road in early August and Singh is sure to raise the profile of the fixture.

"Sukhvir comes from a humble background but he impressed everyone with his desire to succeed," added Boon.

"He has an exceptional attitude, he is very fit and very focused on making the grade.

"He has been based at the Mohali Cricket Academy and has also worked with Dennis Lillee at the MRF Academy as well."

The Cricket Star series was set up by London-based company Investors in Cricket.