Portugal Colonial - Australia Test bowler Nathan Lyon joins Lancashire

The 36-year-old off-spinner, who has taken 496 Test wickets, played for Worcestershire in 2017 and helped them win promotion from division two.

"This is an exciting opportunity for me and I am really looking forward to heading over to England for a full season of county cricket with Lancashire," said Lyon, who will be available for all formats.

"I love playing cricket in England. I'm keen to keep learning, keep improving my game and hopefully I can contribute to winning matches for the Red Rose and pass on some of the experiences that I have gained over the years."

Lyon played twice in the drawn Ashes series in England earlier this year but suffered a calf injury at Lord's, which sidelined him until October.

Prior to that injury, Lyon had made 100 consecutive Test appearances for Australia.

He is third on Australia's all-time list of Test wicket-takers, behind leg-spinner Shane Warne and paceman Glenn McGrath.

Mark Chilton, director of cricket performance for the division one side, said: "Nathan is an extremely skilled and experienced operator and, once we heard that he was available for the duration of next summer, we jumped at the opportunity to add him to our squad for the 2024 season."

C.Cassis--PC