Brian Lara has enjoyed a stint with the Kent club

David Folb, chairman of the club, told The Times newspaper that the 25-year-old would play for them this Friday against an East Kent XI.

Not that the news that another high profile international player had joined what is effectively a pub team would have come as a shock.

Since Lashings Cricket Club's inauspicious start it has grown to such an extent that it can now boast among its ranks three former West Indian captains.

A Pakistan paceman will just add to the mix - and strike fear into the hearts of club batsmen, after all, Akhtar was clocked at 97.7mph on Saturday.

But the first players who opened the bowling would have struggled to give the hurry-up to even high school players let alone be close to breaking three figures.

The club's beginnings came in 1979 when the opposition for Maidstone's Minstrel Wine Bar failed to materialise.

An SOS call went out to Folb's Lashings restaurant to see if they could rustle together a side.

Adams is one of three former WI captains at the club

The 39-year-old is still with he club and his association has helped the club attract more high profile players.

He has gone into business with Folb and opened a Lashings Bar and Restaurant in Antigua.

The Lashings family now includes Richardson's former team-mates Stuart Campbell and wicket-keeper Junior Murray.

The club's reputation continued to grow and prompted the interest of Simon Noble of Carribbean-based online betting company Intertops who decided to sponsor the club.

With their financial backing the former West Indies captain Jimmy Adamas was enticed to play as was paceman Reon King. But the real coup was attracting one of the world's best batsmen to the club.

Brian Lara, holder of the Test-best of 375 and first-class best of 501, has spent the first half of this season with Lashings.

Now he has gone back to the Caribbean to link up with his West Indies team-mates having played with a smile on his face during his short stint.

As is the case with many club sides he has experienced the joys of Lashings' kangaroo court. Three times he was fined after his first match, for amongst other offences, the failure to score a century.

Akhtar needs to be warned - if he doesn't capture a five-wicket haul on his first outing for the little club with big stars then he can expect to be digging into his well-lined pockets.