Matthew Wade: Worcestershire sign Australia international as batter for 2022

Matthew Wade has scored more than 4,000 runs for Australia in all formats, including five centuries

Worcestershire have signed Australia international Matthew Wade for 2022.

The 33-year-old batsman/wicketkeeper, previously with Birmingham Bears, is currently in the Caribbean playing for Australia against West Indies.

He has been picked as a keeper for the T20s but only batted in the one-day internationals - and the most recent of his 36 Test appearances, against India in January, was also as a batsman only.

Worcestershire's first-choice keeper for the last decade has been Ben Cox.

And cricket steering group chairman Paul Pridgeon confirmed Wade will play for Worcestershire as a batsman.

The former Pears paceman said: "We have signed him as a batter. He is a real hard-nosed batter in red-ball cricket and a dangerous striker in white-ball cricket."

The club believe signing Wade, who has played in 36 Tests, 97 ODIs and 43 T20s for his country, is "a signal of intent."

He said: "I have always wanted to experience the challenge of a full season of county cricket, and I jumped at the opportunity to join Worcestershire as soon as it came about.

"New Road is one of the world's most recognisable cricket grounds, and I loved playing there as part of the Ashes tour in 2019."