SPIN wizard Saeed Ajmal will link up with Worcestershire for a third spell early next month.

Ajmal is due to arrive at New Road on June 2 and would be available for at least a five-week period until July 7 after Worcestershire obtained a No Objection Certifcate (NOC) from the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The first game he would be available for is the NatWest T20 Blast match with Northamptonshire at Northampton on June 5.

But there is a possibility that Ajmal, who played a major role in Worcestershire in gaining promotion to Division One of the LV= County Championship last summer, could be with the County for a more substantial spell.

That will depend on whether Saeed is selected by his country for the forthcoming one-day internationals in Sri Lanka.

Worcestershire chief executive David Leatherdale said: “Saeed, now that Pakistan have issued the No Objection Certificate, is due to arrive on June 2.

“He will certainly be avail - able until July 7 and possibly, depending on selection for Sri Lanka, even longer and, if he wasn’t selected for the Sri Lankan one-dayers, he could be here for the whole summer.”

Worcestershire Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes said: “I’m delighted Saeed is back playing. What he has pro - duced, previous to his problems, was exceptional for us as well as his country.

“We are very optimistic he will do well again for us and obviously he is a feared opponent by all of our opposition in all formats of cricket.”

Ajmal picked up 63 wickets in nine Championship games last summer and his remodelled action gained ICC approval earlier this year.

During the period from June 2 until July 7, he would be available for three Championship matches — against Warwickshire at New Road, Middlesex at Uxbridge and Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge — plus eight T20s.