Mumbai, July 3: Harbhajan Singh has signed up with the Essex county team for the 2012 season, making himself available for the remaining eight County Championship and seven Clydesdale Bank 40 matches.

The off-spinner will make his debut for Essex in the County Championship Division Two match against Gloucestershire, on July 11, provided he gets his UK visa on time.

The county’s head coach, Paul Grayson, expressed delight at acquiring the services of the experienced spinner who is currently out of the national team.

“We are delighted to have signed one of the best spinners in world cricket over the last 10 years or so,” Grayson said.

“Harbhajan is a great character who is a match-winner and I believe that his winning mentality will rub off on the rest of the playing squad here at Essex.

“I am really excited at the prospect of having him in the squad and this signing for the second half of the season shows that Essex mean business and will continue to fight in the County Championship & Clydesdale Bank 40 formats of the game.”

Harbhajan has represented India in 98 Tests and 227 ODIs, claiming 406 and 259 wickets in the respective formats. The 31-year-old feisty bowler has a hat-trick to his name, against Australia in the 2001 Kolkata Test. He has taken a five-wicket haul 25 times in Tests.