Surrey waiting to sign Harbhajan

Harbhajan Singh, one of the few Indian players who shone in the recent Test series against Australia, is set to join English county Surrey, who are awaiting BCCI approval before announcing the spinner as their overseas signing for 2005.

"We are currently at an advanced stage of negotiation with Harbhajan. We are hoping to secure his services and are waiting to hear from the BCCI," a club spokesman was quoted as saying by BBC Sport website.

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The off-spinner took 5-29 in the second innings of the fourth Test at Mumbai last week and finished the four-Test series with 21 wickets at an average of 24. He picked three five-wicket hauls from three Tests as he missed the Nagpur Test, the third of the series, due to a stomach virus.

Harbhajan would join the club as a replacement for Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq, who has had operations on both his knees and barely played for Surrey in 2003.

Harbhajan was signed by Lancashire for the 2003 season but did not play for them due to a finger injury.