Babar Azam rejoins Somerset for 2020 Vitality Blast T20 tournament

Somerset : Pakistan batsman Babar Azam will rejoin Somerset for this year`s Vitality Blast, the county club confirmed on Saturday.

The 25-year-old was a sensation for Somerset in 2019, scoring more runs than anyone else in the competition (578) at an impressive average of 52.54. He will be re-joining Somerset from September 2 to October 4 and will therefore be available for the last seven group matches plus the knock-out stages.

Somerset Director of Cricket, Andy Hurry said: "We originally agreed on terms and announced Babar`s signing prior to the impact of Covid-19. However, since then there have obviously been revisions to the domestic and Vitality Blast schedules."

"Since the confirmation of the 2020 fixtures we have been working collaboratively with the ECB, PCB, Babar and his management team to ensure that we could all make the necessary adjustments that would enable him to join us to fulfil the pre-existing agreement," he added.

In 2019, Azam also played his part off the field and was one of a number of Somerset players who lent their support to the Super 1s initiative for disability cricket.

Babar is currently captaining Pakistan in their T20 series in England after featuring in all three Tests earlier in the tour. The first T20I between England and Pakistan was abandoned due to rain on Friday at Old Trafford.