Australian bowling allrounder signs for ten Championship games
McAndrew, 28, joined South Australia ahead of this season’s Sheffield Shield after losing his New South Wales contract and was the competition’s second-highest wicket-taker ahead of this week’s final.
He is due to be available for up to 10 County Championship fixtures, starting from Warwickshire’s fixture against Essex on April 21, and will also be registered for the T20 Blast as injury cover for Paul Stirling and Carlos Brathwaite.
“We’ve looked closely at Nathan over the Australian summer and believe that he could thrive in English conditions,” Paul Farbrace, Warwickshire’s director of cricket, said. “He’s had a good first season with South Australia and he recognises that platform that playing county cricket can give him in getting recognised by the Australian selectors.
“With the retirement of Tim Bresnan earlier this year, securing a strong bowling allrounder in Nathan is exactly what we need to help balance our attack and we’re looking forward to welcoming him into the dressing room at Edgbaston next month.”
McAndrew is among a number of players who have benefitted from the ECB’s decision to loosen its criteria for a ‘governing body visa endorsement’ ahead of the 2020 season, in order to ensure leading overseas players were available for the Hundred.
Previously, players were required to have appeared in one Test or fifteen limited-overs internationals in the 24 months before their visa application but the ECB added the option of having played at least 20 T20 games in a full-member nation in late 2019, which has opened up a route into county cricket for Big Bash regulars like McAndrew.
“Coming over to England to play Championship cricket is something that many cricketers around the world aspire to,” McAndrew said. “To get the chance to represent the County Champions is an unbelievable opportunity.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my move to South Australia, but I want to build on the last few months by taking more wickets for Warwickshire. I’ve been playing the best cricket of my career, so I can’t wait to get to Edgbaston and get started with the Bears.”