Paul Stirling is five short of 400 T20 appearances and joins Leicestershire, sitting third in the North Group after eight games, on the back of a disappointing T20 World Cup with Ireland
Leicestershire have signed Ireland opener Paul Stirling on a short-term T20 Blast deal to cover for the injured Peter Handscomb.
Handscomb suffered a shoulder problem while fielding against Sussex in the recent County Championship defeat at Hove, leading to Leicestershire calling on Stirling – who has previously played for Middlesex, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire in county cricket – initially for two matches but potentially thereafter on a game-by-game basis, depending on the Australian's recovery.
Stirling is five short of 400 T20 appearances and joins Leicestershire, sitting third in the North Group after eight games, on the back of a disappointing T20 World Cup with Ireland.
"Paul holds immense county and international experience, which will be a huge benefit to our team at an important stage of the competition," said Claude Henderson, Leicestershire's director of cricket.
Related: Louis Kimber: "I was just trying to hit the ball as far as I could" in stunning Hove knock
Stirling is a veteran of the T20 Blast (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
"He offers the ability to score quick runs at the top of the order, as well as take wickets, and we're excited to add him to our squad."
Stirling will form part of a fresh overseas stable at Grace Road, with Wiaan Mulder having departed for a stint in Major League Cricket followed by likely involvement in South Africa's tour of West Indies. He is being replaced by two players: Jimmy Neesham for the T20 Blast, and Ajinkya Rahane for the One-Day Cup and County Championship run-in.
"Hopefully we can get a win or two more and put ourselves in strong contention for a home quarter-final," added Stirling.
Join The Cricketer's brand new Whatsapp channel for the latest breaking news, comment and features - click here to become a member
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.