NDCricket Signs Sri Lankan Star

ND Cricket have signed star Sri Lankan batsman Thilkaratne Dilshan for their Twenty20 cricket campaign this summer.

Dilshan was the highest run-scorer at the recent Twenty20 World Cup in England, notching up 317 runs at an average of 52 with a strike rate of 144. Sri Lanka were runners-up to Pakistan.

ND chief executive David Cooper said 32-year-old Dilshan "is arguably the best Twenty20 batsman going in world cricket at the moment".

"It's a significant move for us to sign him and have him coming out to New Zealand. We believe that his presence will assist our team and our players in much the same way Andrew Strauss did in early 2008. I have no doubt New Zealand crowds will enjoy watching him, too."

Dilshan, currently playing for Sri Lanka in their test series against Pakistan, was also a standout during the IPL Twenty20 tournament in South Africa with his Delhi Daredevils side, where he was the fifth-highest run-scorer, averaging 42 at a strike rate of 122.

He's set to join a Knights team that will also feature Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori, with the domestic Twenty20 competition planned for late December through to late January 2010.

A veteran of 53 test matches, the right-hand batsman averages 34.26 in Twenty20 internationals, 31.11 in one-day internationals and has a trademark flick-shot over his head. Dilshan can also keep wickets and bowl right-arm offspin.