Zaheer Khan will play for English county champions Surrey this summer.
India's Test spearhead, who has been out of action since limping off the field in the first Test against Pakistan in Multan in March, has taken up the assignment as an amateur in order to prove his fitness to the Indian selectors ahead of July's Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
On Saturday he played his first match against Essex in the National League, after Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was ruled out with a knee injury, and made an impression immediately, claiming two wickets in his first over, the first off the first ball he bowled. At the end of the match his figures read 7-0-36-2; nine of those runs were from wides.
Surrey went on to win the match by 31 runs.
"The arrangement suits both parties," a Surrey spokesman told the BBC.
Zaheer cannot sign up as an overseas player as he does not have a working visa.
"I would think he'll definitely play in the next championship game and maybe the one after that, but we'll just have to see," the spokesman added.
"Zaheer has been training with us for the past week and wanted to sign as an overseas player, but when he couldn't, he decided to play anyway in an amateur capacity. He just wants to prove to the Indian selectors that he is fit and playing well."
Surrey' take on Kent in a four-day match on Tuesday.
