Not needed by India, Surrey have swooped for Harbhajan © AFP

Surrey have signed Harbhajan Singh, the India offspinner who was surprisingly overlooked by the selectors for their tour of England next month.

"Let's be honest, Surrey haven't had the start to the season that we would like," Alan Butcher, Surrey's cricket manager said, "and we feel that a world-class spinner is an important part of improving our performance in the second half of the year.

"Harbhajan is a great wicket-taker and with the club expecting Azhar Mahmood to play for Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup later this year, we no longer have to worry about a possible gap in our line-up from August onwards. Azhar has made a great contribution to the club, and it's clear that international duty is a distinct possibility for him later this year, so we want to be prepared."

Harbhajan, 26, last played a Test for India against West Indies 12 months ago, but is pleased to rejoin Surrey who he represented in 2005.

"This is obviously a great opportunity for me personally," he said, "and I can't wait to get out there and play some great cricket for Surrey. I want to make every performance count, with both bat and ball, and really look forward to catching up with my old team-mates soon."