Lancashire: Peter Moores wants 'strong' overseas signing

Lancashire head coach Peter Moores is seeking a strong character to replace Australia batsman Simon Katich as the county's overseas player next season.

The 38-year-old helped Lancashire win the Division Two title in 2013.

But Katich, who played 56 Tests for his country, is set to retire in February and take up a position with Australian football side Greater Western Sydney.

"We want to sign a good player - but you always want a good character," Moores told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"One thing we got from Simon, as well as his runs, was a bloke with a strong character and values. That's really important from an overseas player.

"It's normally someone who your players look up to and has played international cricket. We've had that with Ashwell Prince and we've got some strong senior players. They know their responsibility is to set the example for the younger players coming through."

Katich, who also played for Lancashire in 2010, scored 1,097 runs at an average of 73.13 in first-class cricket last season.

He will begin his new role as a player development co-ordinator after featuring for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash, Australia's domestic T20 competition, early next year.

Moores continued: "Simon did a great job for us and we knew that he was at a stage of his career where if the right challenge came along, he was going to take it.

"He's got a great opportunity now to move into something different outside of playing. He's earned that by the quality of person that he is. What it leaves us with is the option of going for an overseas player if the right person's around."

But Moores, who recently extended his contract at Lancashire, insisted that he will not add an overseas player for the sake of it, adding: "If the right person's around, we'll sign them. If they're not, we won't.

"You see what players are available and the challenge is always the same - getting a good player or someone who you think will be available for long enough to make a worthwhile difference."

England one-day wicket-keeper Jos Buttler is Lancashire's only acquisition of the winter so far following his move from Somerset.