Former Somerset batsman Alviro Petersen has joined Lancashire on a two-year deal as a Kolpak player with the option of a third year at the club.
The South-African batsman joins countryman Ashwell Prince at recently-relegated Lancashire, who he scored 155 against last season and as a kolpak signing it means that Lancashire are still yet to fill their overseas quota for 2015.
It had been rumoured for much of last season that Lancashire were in the race to secure a recently retired Test cricketer and Petersen retired from the South African team earlier this month.
The 34-year-old comes to Emirates Old Trafford at a transitional period and recently appointed Coach and Director of Cricket, Ashley Giles, believes that Petersen will be the perfect fit for Lancashire’s needs in the second division.
“We are delighted to bring a player of Alviro’s calibre to Old Trafford. His experience at the top of the order, both internationally and domestically, is second to none and he will bring outstanding quality to our batting unit.
“He is a player who is well respected within the game and his experience will be of immense benefit to our younger batsmen.”
It has also been suggested that Petersen may take over the Lancashire captaincy, although nothing has been confirmed as yet.
Petersen’s first-class record of 188 matches and 35 centuries has made him one of the more dependable top-order-batsman in county cricket in the last decade, having represented Somerset, Glamorgan and Essex.
Commenting on his decision to join Lancashire, Petersen said: “I have had some success against Lancashire,” he recalled. “But I’ve always loved the set-up there. The nets are world-class, so is the field, and the guys are a good bunch. I’m keen to contribute and hopefully win some trophies.
Im delighted to join @LancsCCC for the next few years. Look forward to the next chapter of my professional career. cant wait 2 get started!
— Alviro Petersen (@AlviroPetersen) January 22, 2015
“Lancashire’s a big club, and I’m looking forward to playing for them. It was a no brainer when the opportunity came my way. It’s a great place to be playing my cricket. Manchester’s a great city as well.
“I think I’ve still got a lot of good, good cricket in me. I’m pretty positive about our future. Obviously Division Two is a hard place to play cricket, but Lancashire have already shown what is possible. When they went down a few seasons ago, they came straight back up again.
“The first thing is to start by playing good cricket, and then we can create a winning culture from there and see where we go. I’ve always enjoyed challenges in my life and throughout my cricket career, and this is a great challenge for me.
“I obviously know the players, but not that well because I haven’t played with them. I’ve played a lot with Ashwell Prince, so I’m looking forward to linking up with him again. All the things I’ve heard about the club and players has been good.
“Playing against the guys, you start picking up on different characters and what they are about. I can see they are a good group, and I look forward to playing with them over the next couple of years.”
