HAMPSHIRE have signed South-African all-rounder Ryan McLaren for the rest of the LV County Championship season - as a replacement for Jackson Bird.

The 32-year old will play in the last four games, starting at Durham on September 1, following Tasmania’s decision to recall Bird.

Bird has played his last match of the season for Hampshire as his state want him back to prepare for the start of the Australian domestic season.

Director of Cricket Giles White said: “We are delighted to have an all-rounder of Ryan’s quality taking over from Jackson for what will be an important end to the season.

“He is hugely experienced and will add quality and balance to the team.”

McLaren, a right-arm medium-fast bowler and hard-hitting lower-order batsman, took 112 Championship wickets at 25.3 for Kent from 2007-09, as well as scoring 863 runs at 21.6.

He played two Tests, 12 T20 internationals and 54 one-day internationals, but was devastated after being dropped from the Proteas’ World Cup squad in January.

McLaren was South Africa’s second top wicket taker in 2014 with 23 wickets at 25.34, but missed out to Wayne Parnell.

Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein has not ruled out the possibility of his compatriot playing for the county beyond the end of this season.

He said: “It could be more, we’ll see how he goes and what he wants to do. He’s been speaking to the club for a while and I know him very well.

“I played against him for a long time, he’s a quality player who still wants to play a lot of cricket and this is still a good time in his career.”

McLaren has scored 4194 first-class runs at 32 and 337 wickets at 26.33.