Fringe Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft is the latest Ashes hopeful to sign with an English County side ahead of this year's UK tour.
Bancroft will join Somerset for the club's opening four fixtures of the County Championship season, playing for the English side until May.
The 30-year-old links up with Somerset following a career-best Sheffield Shield campaign, having recorded the most runs in the competition on his way to leading Western Australia to the domestic red-ball title.
Bancroft scored 945 runs for the Warriors at an average of 59.06, seeing his career first-class runs tally surpass 8,500 runs.
With an opening in the Australia squad to tour England later this year potentially on offer, Bancroft has decided to jet off to Somerset to strengthen his bid for a potential return to the international stage.
โI have thoroughly enjoyed the time that I've spent playing in England, and I'm excited to be heading back there with Somerset," Bancroft said in a statement provided by Somerset.
"They are an outstanding Club who are looking to challenge in all formats again this year.
โI hope that I can help contribute to Somerset making a good start to the season in their pursuit of their County Championship goal. It would mean a huge amount to me to play a part in the 2023 team making history.โ
Bancroft played 10 Tests for Australia between 2017-2019, scoring 446 runs at an average of 26.23 as an opener for Australia.
The right-handed batsman would be suspended from international and domestic duties for nine months after being found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute, having been a figure in Australia's infamous ball-tampering saga in South Africa in 2018.
His move to Somerset will see him join the likes of Steve Smith (Sussex), Marnus Labuschagne (Glamorgan), Peter Handscomb (Leicestershire) and Marcus Harris (Gloucestershire), among others, in representing Australia in the County Championships.
