Cockermouth Cricket Club will have a new professional for the 2018 North Lancs/Cumbria League season.

The Sandair club has announced the signing of 31-year-old Pakistani all-rounder Haseeb Azam.

Azam is no stranger to English conditions having spent three years with Bacup in the competitive Lancashire League.

Last season, he took 55 wickets and scored more than 500 runs for Benwell Hill in the ECB North East Premier League, arguably one of the strongest leagues in the country.

Back home in Pakistan, he plays for Rawalpindi where he is regarded as a penetrating left-arm medium-quick bowler, and a hard-hitting lower-order batsman.

Cockermouth were unlucky with their professional last season in that South African all-rounder Mkhululi Calana was released from his contract in order to return home for treatment to a stress fracture in his back.

Calana plays for the Border District back home in South Africa, and the club was anxious for him to receive treatment ahead of their season.

So, he missed the last five games for Cockermouth.

Secretary Geoff Minshaw said: “His stats weren’t particularly good but he wasn’t able to bowl for a fair slice of the season because of the injury.”

It’s an extended Premier Division this coming season after reorganisation with 12 teams taking part.

Dalton, who finished bottom, were not relegated and four teams came up from Division One – champions Millom, runners-up Whitehaven, as well as Lindal and Haverigg.

Whitehaven have announced they have retained professional Mohammad Yasin for the 2018 season which will start on April 21.

Last year, Yasin topped the Division One batting averages, scoring more than 900 runs and finished second in the bowling averages, taking over 50 wickets.

Secretary Arthur Brown said: “He looked a very good player for us and we are looking forward to seeing him in action in the reshaped Premier League.”