Hoofdklasse clubs are already gearing up for the new season, with HBS Den Haag announcing that they have signed former Hermes-DVS coach Greg Todd as their coach for 2008. He succeeds fellow-Kiwi Gareth Hopkins at HBS.

The 25-year-old left-hander Todd, who plays for Otago in New Zealand domestic cricket, coached the Schiedam club in 2003 and 2004. He also appeared for them as a guest player in last season’s inaugural Twenty20 competition.

Todd has been having a fine season at home, hitting a century in each innings of his Otago’s State Championship match against Wellington in November. He currently has 453 first-class runs at an average of 64.71, while in the one-day State Shield he has 156 runs at 39.00.

In all, he has compiled 1912 runs in 33 first-class matches since making his debut for Central Districts in 2000-01.

HBS have also announced the return of 24-year-old Dutch international allrounder Mudassar Bukhari, who has been playing for VVV Amsterdam since they were promoted to the Hoofdklasse in 2005.

Bukhari played youth cricket at HBS, but then moved to VVV via the now-defunct Asian CC. In three seasons with VVV he has taken 52 wickets at an average of 25.35 and made 789 runs at 18.35.

He made a good impression in his debut season with the Dutch side in 2007, hitting three half-centuries and averaging nearly 50 with the bat in both first-class matches and ODIs and claiming a total of 17 wickets in the two forms of the game.

HBS will be hoping that he can reproduce this form in the Hoofdklasse, where his aggressive approach to batting can be immensely destructive but often tempts him into throwing his wicket away. But his bowling will certainly add edge to an already impressive seam attack, and in combination with Todd he is capable of strengthening a batting line-up which has tended towards fragility.

Bukhari’s departure will, conversely, be a serious blow to VVV, who narrowly avoided relegation last season. They will also be weakened by the retirement of captain Sajjad Hussain, who has provided leadership and played a number of crucial innings during the club’s three years in the top flight.