Worcestershire sign Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan

• All-rounder ranked No1 in ODIs and fourth in Tests
• Shakib ‘thrilled’ to join county of Botham and Imran

Worcestershire, the most beleaguered county in the land, have pulled off one of the imaginative signings of the close season — the world-ranked No1 all-rounder.

Arguments rage over whether Shakib Al Hasan, the 22-year-old captain of Bangladesh, the world’s most unfashionable cricket nation, deserves such a rating but the International Cricket Council rankings insist it is justified. Not only does he top the one-day rankings, he is fourth in the Test match all-rounders list.