ENGLAND Test icon and two-time Ashes winner Monty Panesar has signed up to play for the Campbelltown-Camden Ghosts this summer in the NSW Premier Cricket competition.

The recruitment of Panesar is a major coup for the southwest Sydney club. The left-handed finger-spinner took 167 wickets at 34.71 for England across a 50 Test career, and has 709 first-class wickets to his name.

On top of playing duties, the 34-year-old will also serve as the club’s spin coach, under-21 coach and under-16 coach.

“It’s very safe to say he’s the highest profile player at our club in at least the last 20 years,” club secretary Jason Ellsmore told the Macarthur Chronicle. “His presence is sure to generate a lot of interest and hopefully he can win us a few games.”

The Englishman will join the club from October at the end of his county season with Northamptonshire

Ghosts will be Panesar’s third club in the competition, having previously played for Randwick-Petersham in 2011-12 and Western Suburbs in 2013-14. He has 28 wickets across his 18 previous matches in the competition at an average of 19.92 with his best figures (7-29) coincidentally coming against the Ghosts.