Harris heads to Yorkshire

Ryan Harris, who played two championship matches for Surrey this year, is heading to Yorkshire in 2010

Yorkshire have confirmed the signing of Australian all-rounder Ryan Harris as their overseas player for 2010.

The 30-year-old will replace Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, bolstering a seam attack which has been further depleted by the release of Matthew Hoggard and Deon Kruis’ retirement.

Harris arrives at Headingley Carnegie on the back of a glowing reference from compatriot Darren Lehmann - arguably Yorkshire’s greatest overseas player - having topped the Queensland bowling charts in last season’s Pura Cup with 33 wickets at 26.48.

“It is great to be a part of the club for next summer and I’m really looking forward to the challenge of English county cricket,” said Harris. “When I got the call asking me if I wanted to go and play in Yorkshire I jumped at the chance.

“When I was playing with Darren Lehmann he would come back to Adelaide and always talk about Yorkshire and he really enjoyed his time there, and it will be great to get over and see where he is a very much-liked person. It’s good to be going to what sounds like a very passionate club.”

Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of professional cricket, said: “Ryan comes highly recommended by a number of people in Australia for his all-round abilities.

“He is an opening bowler who is also useful with the bat and an outstanding fielder. He fits perfectly into our desire to build an energetic and vibrant team for the future.”

Chief executive Stewart Regan added: “The signing of Ryan Harris is tremendous news for the club. He brings experience, quality and both a desire to impress the Yorkshire public and those back in Australia.

“To have Ryan signed up now means we can concentrate our efforts wholeheartedly on preparing for next summer.

Harris on duty for Sussex against MCC in 2008, his only appearance for the county during an ill-fated and brief spell

"We have 11 players away this winter with various England sides which shows the talent we have in our ranks at Headingley Carnegie. Add a quality overseas signing and we have every reason to look forward to next summer.”

Harris made his one-debut debut for Australia in January, and played two LV= County Championship matches for Surrey this season, but he is probably best remembered by English crowds for a brief spell at Sussex in 2008.

He qualified as a non-overseas player because his father was born in Britain, and outlined his intention to play for England before taking four wickets on his Sussex debut in the traditional season curtain-raiser against MCC last summer.

However, he was forced to resign without playing a championship game after it emerged that he had signed a contract with Queensland, meaning he would have been classed as an overseas player in England.

Harris helped Deccan Chargers - coached by Lehmann - to the Indian Premier League title this year, although his participation in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 came to an end yesterday.

He will link up with Yorkshire after fulfilling his 2010 IPL commitments, and is relishing the opportunity to stake his claim for a return to the Australia side after a foot injury ruled him out of contention for the tour of South Africa earlier this year.

“I’ve had a couple of injuries at the wrong times but I still feel I’m good enough to get into the Australian side,” he said.

“The desire is still there and if I come over to Yorkshire and perform well I can put my name up again in front of the selectors. Wanting to represent Australia is something that’s definitely still there in my heart.”