Australian T20 international bowling allrounder Chris Green has been snapped up on a two-season deal by Lancashire after starring for the county in white-ball games over the English summer.
While Nathan Lyon was the big signing for Lancashire for the first-class championship programme in 2024, it was 31-year-old Green who shone as his replacement when the veteran Test spinner’s spell in England was reduced by Cricket Australia to include only red-ball matches.
Green proved an excellent option during the T20 Blast as Lancashire’s top wicket-taker, helping them to the knockout stages with his 14 off-spinning scalps and clouting 155 runs at a strike-rate above 160.
The South African-born Green also made six appearances in the One-Day Cup, scoring 216 runs, including his maiden List A century against Hampshire, and taking five wickets. He also played in one county championship match, a draw against Nottinghamshire.
The Old Trafford-based county believe Sydney Thunder captain Green, who played his one T20 international for Australia in India at the end of last year, will again be a key figure in their Blast ambitions.
But his contract will again also allow him to play in the Championship and One-Day Cup, subject to availability.
Green, who also played for Nottingham-based Trent Rockets in the Hundred, told the club’s website: “I absolutely loved my first year with the club and I am even more excited to be coming back for the next two seasons – I can’t wait to join up with the team again next summer.
“It is a really special group of players at Lancashire. I know that there are big things to come, and I am looking forward to playing my part in that during 2025 and 2026.”
Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, said: “One of our key priorities heading into the winter was to secure Chris’s services so we are really pleased to get this deal done early.
“Chris made a huge impact for us on the field and had a number of options and offers to play around the world, but we are delighted that he has committed to being here.
“Not only did Chris’s performances with bat and ball stand out this season but he also really impressed us with his leadership and his personality had a huge influence on the dressing room.”
Green has rebounded well after the huge setback in 2020 when he was banned from bowling due to a suspect action before being cleared six months later following testing in Brisbane.
He’s since gone on to become a much-in-demand figure in T20 franchises around the world, having featured not just in the BBL and England’s Blast, but also in the Caribbean Premier League captaining Antigua and Barbuda Falcons and in the Indian Premier League with Kolkata Knight Riders.
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