JACKSON Bird will continue his recovery from a back injury next week after having his comeback game abandoned following the Phil Hughes tragedy.

Hampshire have signed the Queensland fast bowler, who celebrates his 28th birthday next week, for the 2015 season.

Bird has only appeared in two First Class games since making the third and last of his Test appearances in England in August 2013.

One of them was for Queensland last March, and the other was a Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania last week.

Bird bowled five overs on the first day – his figures were 5-2-34-0 – before the match was abandoned following the head injury suffered by Hughes.

Cricket Australia halted all the Shield games taking place after Hughes was admitted to hospital having been hit on the head while batting for South Australia.

The former Hampshire batsman died two days later.

Queensland had been due to return to Shield action today, against New South Wales, but that will now start next Tuesday along with all other games in the competition.

Bird is aiming to impress the Australia selectors as he works his way back to full fitness following his back injury.

The problem prevented him playing for Northants in the County Championship last summer.

Bird has the incentive of playing in another Ashes series in England, next summer, if he impresses.

Hampshire first-team coach Dale Benkenstein described Bird as “world class” on announcing his signing back in September.

Bird was voted man of the match in only his second Test in January 2013, after taking 4-41 and 3-76 in a win against Sri Lanka.