Lancashire have signed Australia Test batsman Usman Khawaja as their overseas player for the remainder of the season.
Khawaja, 27, played the last of his nine Tests in Australia's defeat at the Emirates Durham ICG last summer - the match in which England clinched the 2013 Ashes.
The Pakistan-born left-hander has previously played for Derbyshire, and has scored almost 5,000 first-class runs at an average of more than 41.
Lancashire confirmed his impending arrival on their official Twitter feed:
Welcome to @EmiratesOT@Uz_Khawaja!! Australia international batsman joins @LancsCCC as overseas player. More to follow...
— Lancashire CCC (@LancsCCC) June 6, 2014
Lancashire have found life tough back in the LV= County Championship top flight so far this season, and sit inside the relegation places after seven games.
The Red Rose have struggled with the bat most significantly, and cricket director Mike Watkinson welcomed the addition of Khawaja, who was left out of the Australia A squads for their upcoming series.
“We are delighted to add Usman to our current squad," Watkinson said.
"His quality and international experience at the top end of the batting order will help to create a greater platform for the team particularly in championship cricket.
“When Simon Katich informed us that he wouldn’t be returning we saw it as a great opportunity to promote a number of our emerging batsmen and we will continue in this vein with Usman complementing our current resources.
“I know Usman is hungry to play his way back into Test cricket and success with Lancashire will be a great way of nudging the Aussie selectors.”
Khawaja scored 554 runs at an average of 46.16 for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield during the winter, with a top score of an unbeaten 182 to lead the Bulls to a successful fourth-innings chase against South Australia.
"I am delighted to have signed with Lancashire for the remainder of the summer," he said.
"It’s a great opportunity for me and a challenge I am really looking forward to getting stuck into.
"I have heard nothing but good things about the club so getting to Manchester, meeting my new team-mates and contributing for the team is an exciting prospect.
"Every time you play cricket is a learning experience and I am looking forward to the next few months.”