Middlesex snap up O'Brien

Iain O'Brien will play his last game for New Zealand, making him, in theory, available to Middlesex all next season

Middlesex have announced that New Zealand seamer Iain O’Brien will be their overseas player next season.

The 33-year-old, who revealed his imminent retirement from international cricket on Saturday, has signed an initial one-year contract - with player and club aiming to extend the deal to three years.

O’Brien spent much of the summer with Leicestershire, playing 18 games, and the move to Middlesex will allow him to spend more time with his wife Rosie, who lives in Derbyshire.

O'Brien has taken 67 wickets at 34.11 apiece in 21 Tests to date, and has played 10 one-day and four Twenty20 internationals, although his last game for New Zealand looks likely to be the third Test against Pakistan in Napier, which starts on Friday.

Middlesex managing director of cricket Angus Fraser said: “It became clear in 2009 that Middlesex CCC needed to find fast bowling support for Tim Murtagh and Steven Finn, who manfully carried the team’s attack last summer.

“Selecting a fast bowler as an overseas player was the obvious way of filling one of these positions and it is why Murali Kartik, Middlesex’s official overseas player for the past three seasons, was not offered a new contract.

“Finding an overseas fast bowler who is available for most, if not all of a season is a huge thing for me.

"Most international fast bowlers tend only to be available for short periods of time, and on occasions their workload is closely monitored by their home board.

"This predicament will have led counties to question whether the investment was actually worthwhile.

“Ideally, I want an overseas player to become an integral part of the club structure, to join in with everything and feel part of the club as it moves forward.

"I was not keen on someone who briefly flits in and then disappears elsewhere. Iain has the potential to fulfil this requirement.

“Iain was identified during the 2009 season as a fine bowler and man. He has a good Test record and bowled extremely well against Middlesex CCC in the LV=CC match at Leicester where he took nine wickets.

"His qualities as a person have been vouched for by everyone I have spoken to and I am delighted he has chosen to play at Lord’s in 2010.

Angus Fraser is keen to ensure new overseas signing O'Brien "joins in with everything and feels part of the club"

“I watched Iain on a number of occasions during England’s 2007-08 tour of New Zealand, and chatted to him on a couple of occasions.

"During our chats he informed me that he was an into-the-wind bowler in Wellington, a city (where) I spent two winters playing club cricket in when I was young.

“The admission impressed me because, knowing Wellington and its wind as I do, I immediately knew Iain was a determined, wholehearted cricketer. So strong is the wind in Wellington, that if you don’t show those qualities you will not reach the wickets.

“Iain showed real determination and bowled beautifully during New Zealand’s recent Test win over Pakistan in Dunedin and there is no reason to believe he will not continue to perform as well for Middlesex CCC.”