Nottinghamshire sign Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor

Taylor, who can also keep wicket, has never played county cricket

Nottinghamshire have signed Zimbabwe Test captain Brendan Taylor as a Kolpak player, subject to approval from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The agreement means Taylor will be retiring from international cricket at the end of the current World Cup being held in Australia and New Zealand.

Taylor has scored 1,493 Test runs, including four centuries, at an average of 34.72, in 23 appearances.

He has also played 166 one-day internationals and 26 T20 matches.

The club said it would "discuss specific arrangements" with the 29-year-old batsman at the conclusion of the World Cup.

Notts will be without Michael Lumb and Jake Libby for the start of the new season.

"We have found ourselves with two batsmen injured and face the potential loss of players to international commitments," said director of cricket Mick Newell.

"We have decided to strengthen our batting order with Brendan, a proven player who will be an excellent addition to the side."

Kolpak contracts are signed by foreign players, using a loophole in European Union law to avoid counting against the quota of one overseas player per club.