Maxwell and Burns sign for Lancashire
LANCASHIRE have made a double swoop Down Under to bolster their bid for glory next season.
The Red Rose have signed Australian Test opener Joe Burns to play County Championship cricket, and former world No.1 ranked one-day player Glenn Maxwell for all three formats.
And Maxwell will be joined in the T20 Vitality Blast by another Aussies – James Faulkner – who returns on the second year of his two-season contract.
With Lancashire’s batting being the main reason they suffered relegation from Division One of the County Championship last season, they were always keen to sign a top order batsman in their bid to win promotion at the first time of asking.
And in Burns they have a player who averages 40 in first-class cricket and who will be desperate to secure a place in the Australian Ashes side later next summer.
The 29-year-old, who has played 14 Tests, is available for Lancashire’s opening 10 Championship matches.
He will then be replaced by batting all-rounder Maxwell, who will arrive at the club in April and play in the Royal London One-Day Cup and the T20 Blast either side of the World Cup which is being played in England, where he is expected to star for Australia.
He will then return to Emirates Old Trafford to complete the Championship season.
Not only are both accomplished international players, both have also had experience of county cricket, with Maxwell having played for rivals Yorkshire.
“I am hugely excited to be joining a massive club like Lancashire,” said World Cup winner Maxwell, who has opted out of the IPL this year.
“I have really enjoyed my spells in England before and I’m determined to put in some match-winning performances in all three formats of the game. Coming over to England early next year will also help me acclimatise to conditions ahead of the World Cup, which I am incredibly excited about.
“I still have aspirations to play Test cricket for Australia so I felt it was important that I play some first-class cricket whilst I’m over in England.
“The County Championship is an extremely competitive competition and I’m looking forward to being part of Lancashire’s red ball team.
“There are some very talented young players in the Lancashire squad and I can’t wait to join up with the lads in April.”
And Burns, who will make his Red Rose debut against one of his former clubs Middlesex in the opening match at Lord’s says it’s an honour to play for the club.
“Lancashire is a huge county with a fine history in the game and I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to play for the Red Rose next year,” he said.
“It will be a huge honour to play at a world-class stadium like Emirates Old Trafford and I am very much looking forward to joining up with the squad.”
And cricket director Paul Allott believes Lancashire have signed two of the world’s best players.
He said: “Glenn is one of the most exciting cricketers in the world.
“As a destructive batsman, an outstanding fielder and an effective offspin bowler, he is going to play an important role in our side.
“He will bring a wealth of experience into the changing room having played in over 150 internationals for Australia and it will be another fantastic opportunity for the young players in our squad to learn from him.
“Glenn embodies what we’re trying to achieve at Lancashire.
“He’s a winner and the way he goes about the game will be an example to the rest of the squad.
“He’s an incredibly committed, ambitious and passionate individual and he will fit into our side seamlessly.
“Joe strengthens our batting line-up and brings a wealth of experience into the side. He’s an incredibly ambitious individual, and shares the same aspirations that Lancashire have.”