Andy Hurry is delighted to have secured the return of Abdur Rehman to Somerset next summer – and hopes to be able to pair the Pakistan spin king with George Dockrell in the LV= County Championship.
Rehman impressed in a brief stint with Somerset last season, taking 27 Championship wickets at 14.18, including 9-65 in one innings against Worcestershire.
The 32-year-old is currently serving the last few days of a 12-week suspension for testing positive for cannabis during his time at Taunton – an issue which has been addressed by Somerset chief executive Guy Lavender.
"The club in no way condones the use of illegal drugs," said Lavender. "It was heartening to see that he admitted his mistake and has been punished accordingly.
"It is now time to move on and I am very confident he will do extremely well for us next season."
Rehman will join Somerset for the final five Championship matches of next season, plus the one-day cricket that takes place during that period. Somerset are also looking to sign him for their Friends Life t20 campaign.
And coach Hurry said: "I think it's an absolutely fantastic signing for Somerset County Cricket Club. Everybody was aware of the contribution he made on the park towards the end of last season and the performances he put in for us were match-winning performances.
"He is the type of bowler who offers you the balance and quality required to dominate, control and win matches in the County Championship."
Rehman and fellow spinner Dockrell were unable to feature in the same side in the Championship last season due to international commitments.
But Hurry hopes to be able to field the pair in tandem at some stage next summer.
"If the supporters are excited about that possibility, then I understand why – I think that would be a really exciting combination," said Hurry.
"There are obviously other factors involved but we will try to ensure that we can make that happen, because Manny and George together would obviously pose a major threat to teams."
Rehman, who has appeared in 17 Tests and 25 one-day internationals for Pakistan, praised Somerset for the support they had shown him in what he described as "a difficult period".
"I am happy to be coming back to England to play for Somerset," he said. "I really enjoyed my time there last year and will look to play with the same intensity and passion.
"I would also like to thank the Somerset management and fans for their support in what has been a difficult period for me."
Somerset are still working to appoint a director of cricket following Brian Rose's decision to stand down at the end of last season.
