McKenzie agrees to join Hampshire
Hampshire have signed South African Test batsman Neil McKenzie as a Kolpak player for 2010.
McKenzie, who has played 58 Tests, will be available for the whole season and is due to arrive in early April.
The 34-year-old becomes Hampshire's fifth signing of the winter, in the wake of Kabir Ali, Simon Jones, Shahid Afridi and Ajantha Mendis.
"I know Hampshire is a club with great expectations and it will be exciting to be part of it," said McKenzie.
The opening batsman, who plays his cricket in South Africa for Highveld Lions, has had two previous short stays in English cricket.
He finished the season with Somerset in 2007, before starting the following summer at Durham, prior to linking up with the South African tour party to England.
I really believe that we now have a squad which will challenge for honours in all competitions
Hampshire cricket chairman Rod Bransgrove
He batted for over nine hours to make 138 in the first Test at Lord's, to help secure what ultimately proved a crucial draw.
McKenzie, who averages 37.4 in his 58 Tests, was also part of the South African tour party to England in 2003 - and has made 64 one-day international appearances for his country, but has now turned his back on the Proteas to register as a Kolpak player.
Kolpak players are signed using a loophole in European Union law to allow stars from countries and regions with associate trade agreements with the EU - such as South Africa and the West Indies - to avoid being counted against a county's overseas quota.
Hampshire cricket chairman Rod Bransgrove said: "The addition of Neil McKenzie to our strong squad is the last part of a carefully-planned process.
"His well-proven abilities will bring further resilience to our batting in all forms of cricket.
"I really believe that we now have a squad which will challenge for honours in all competitions."
Source & Picture: http://news.bbc.co.uk
