FIVE WORLD CUP STARS READY FOR BLAST-OFF

RASHID KHAN Sussex

The best white-ball spinner went down with a sinking ship at the World Cup, but will be a huge threat in the Blast.

The 20-year-old is not the only Afghan spinner lurking in the South Group — Middlesex have Mujeeb Ur-Rahman and Mohammad Nabi is at Kent.

AARON FINCH Surrey

Aussie skipper Finch will not resume his destructive opening partnership with Jason Roy, but will light up the Kia Oval. He has three centuries in 28 innings for Surrey in T20 and will be the key man for a squad hit by injuries and call-ups. Is joined by much-needed wrist spin in Imran Tahir.

BABAR AZAM Somerset

Somerset are looking for a white-ball double — or even county treble — and Azam is a tasty signing for that aim. At just 24, he is the ICC’s top-ranked T20 batsman and averages 54 for Pakistan. Another Pakistani who shone at the World Cup is Mohammad Amir, who returns to Essex.

GLENN MAXWELL Lancashire

Maxwell is unlikely to make Australia’s Ashes squad, so provides Lancashire with major firepower. For all the desperation for him to play Tests, or transform ODIs, this is the format in which he is most feared. Joins compatriot James Faulkner at Lancashire.

NICHOLAS POORAN Yorkshire

The emergence of the middle-order batsman was the silver lining of a cloudy World Cup for the West Indies. Pooran is only coming for five games at the start, but that will be more than enough time for him to make an impact. Joins a side bolstered by Adil Rashid from next week.