NEW ZEALAND internationals, Colin Munro and Mitchell McClenaghan, will join Worcestershire for part of the 2014 campaign.
Hard hitting 27-year-old batsman, Munro, will be the county’s second overseas player for the entire span of the Natwest T20 Blast from mid May until August alongside Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal.
McClenaghan, who is also 27, will replace Ajmal for a six week period in July and August when he competes in the Caribbean Premier League.
He will be available for three T20 matches, all eight of the group games in the 50 over Royal London One Day Cup as well as three LV= County Championship matches before Ajmal returns during the second half of August for the remainder of the season.
Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, said he was delighted to have signed the pair.
“Both Colin and Mitch played in the ICC World Twenty and both have real match winning pedigrees,” he said.
“Colin, we came across in Abu Dhabi on our recent pre-season tour and I was immediately impressed with the way he struck the ball against us (in making 47 off 28 balls).
“His strike rate of an equal amount of sixes to fours in t20 cricket shows the way he plays the game and I look forward to him showing some of his boundary hitting to the Worcestershire fans.”
Munro said: “I am really excited and delighted to have the opportunity to join Worcestershire for the re-vamped NatWest T20 Blast competition and look forward to putting in some match winning performances.”
Rhodes said McClenaghan’s aggressive and quick left-arm bowling would be important in his side’s push in both limited-over competitions.
And McClenaghan said he could not wait to join up with the team.
“The opportunity to play all three forms of the game over my six week stint will hopefully allow me to make a difference at an important time of the year,” he added.
“A full run in all the group Royal London One-Day Cup matches will also give a focus for success while aiming to make telling contributions in both the NatWest T20 Blast and LV=CC matches.”
McClenaghan starred for his country in last summer’s ICC Champions Trophy with 11 wickets in three games, including three against host nation England, before enjoying a successful spell with Lancashire in the Twenty20 competition.
He played in all four World Twenty20 matches in Bangladesh and returned figures of 1-22, 0-30, 1-29 and 2-24 against England, South Africa, Netherlands and Sri Lanka respectively.
To date he has played 22 ODI’s and 15 T20 internationals.
The hard-hitting Munro featured in the opening two games of the World Twenty20 against England and the Proteas.
He has a strike rate of 130 in T20 international cricket and will bring some explosive fire-power to the top of the batting order to boost Worcestershire’s hopes of reaching Finals Day for the first time.
He has played seven ODI’s, 14 T20 internationals and one Test – against his native South Africa in January 2013.
