Durham sign Dutch allrounder Bas de Leede as local player

The allrounder, whose father also represented the Netherlands, will be available to play in all three formats for the county

Durham have signed Dutchman Bas de Leede on a two-year deal, with his new director of cricket, Marcus North, describing him as "arguably the most exciting allrounder in associate cricket right now".

De Leede's arrival follows the theme of the winter at Durham, which began with the appointment of former Netherlands head coach Ryan Campbell as a successor to James Franklin and continued with the signing of Dutch fast bowler Brandon Glover.

The acquisition of de Leede, who has agreed a deal as a local player across three formats, is the third piece of that jigsaw.

"I can't wait for the summer to start in what will hopefully be a really successful one for the club and hopefully I can contribute to as many wins as possible," said de Leede, whose father, Tim, also played international cricket for the Netherlands.

"To play county cricket has always been a dream for me and I will be forever grateful to Durham for giving me the opportunity to do so."

^{Bas de Leede was the Netherlands' leading wicket-taker at the T20 World Cup (Martin Keep/AFP via Getty Images)}

The allrounder, who made a half century against England in the third ODI of last year's three-match series, bowls handy medium pace as well as being a hard-hitting batter.

He has spent the last month in the UAE, representing MI Emirates in the ILT20. During the preceding T20 World Cup, he picked up 13 wickets and was his country's leading wicket-taker.

North added: "He is a genuine allrounder and brings quality and skill set which will strengthen our playing squad in the T20 Blast and will provide depth in our County Championship. We look forward to him joining up with Durham shortly and seeing his performances in a Durham shirt."

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