Essex have signed Bangladesh International opening batsman Tamim Iqbal for eight games of the NatWest T20 Blast.

Tamim joined up with the squad on Saturday, ahead of the Battle of the Bridge trip to Beckenham, Kent today.

An experienced International cricketer at the age of 28, Tamim has played 49 Tests, 173 ODIs and 56 T20 Internationals for Bangladesh.

With an exceptional record in all formats and a career T20 strike rate of close to 120, Tamim is an explosive addition to the Eagles’ top order.

The left-hander links up with the Eagles following a successful Champions Trophy campaign, including a hundred against England, and Head Coach Chris Silverwood believes he will be an excellent addition.

Silverwood said: “Tamim has shown how good a player he is in the recent Champions Trophy competition. As a batsman he is capable of being destructive and that is reflected in his career strike rate.

“We identified the opening berth as an area we wanted to strengthen and we are thrilled to get a player of Tamim’s calibre into the Club. He will bolster the side for eight games and we look forward to his arrival.”

The 28-year-old is thrilled to be joining Essex and added: “I am really looking forward to linking up with my Essex team mates for the upcoming NatWest T20 Blast.

“I have played plenty of cricket with and against the likes of Ravi Bopara, Ryan ten Doeschate and Ashar Zaidi, so I’m sure it will be an environment I will settle into quickly.

“I always enjoy playing cricket in England and hope to help Essex make a big impact in the competition.”