Middlesex look to Yuvraj for Twenty20 Cup

Middlesex have confirmed that they are in talks to sign Yuvraj Singh as their second overseas player for this year's Twenty20 Cup, after their original target, Sachin Tendulkar, turned down an offer in a bid to prolong his international career.

Yuvraj, who famously hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over in the inaugural World Twenty20 in September 2007, has been earmarked as an explosive sidekick to the former Australian wicketkeeper, Adam Gilchrist, who confirmed back in November that he would be joining the county.

"We have been in talks with Yuvraj about the possibility of him playing Twenty20 cricket this summer," Angus Fraser, Middlesex's director of cricket, told Cricinfo. "The contract is not in place at this moment in time, but we're in communication, and it seems to be going quite positively."

With the deal being part-financed by the MCC, the major stumbling block to negotiations will be India's as-yet-unconfirmed international schedule. The Twenty20 Cup group stages are scheduled to run from June 1 to July 18, with the finals to follow in August, although India are expected to announce a tri-series involving Sri Lanka, and possibly New Zealand, commencing on July 9.

Middlesex were the winners of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup, and took part in the ill-fated Stanford Super Series in October and November that year, but they failed to qualify from the group stage of last year's competition.