Middlesex sign Pieter Malan as replacement for Peter Handscomb

Handscomb, who struggled for runs during his time at Lord's, is linking up with Australia A for a tour of Sri Lanka, before heading home ahead of the birth of his first child

South African batter Pieter Malan has joined Middlesex as an overseas player for the remainder of the season.

The 32-year-old replaces Peter Handscomb, who ended his spell with the county following their victory over Durham on Sunday.

Handscomb, who struggled for runs during his time at Lord's, is linking up with Australia A for a tour of Sri Lanka, before heading home ahead of the birth of his first child.

Malan is set to be available for the rest of Middlesex's LV= Insurance County Championship campaign, which looks like taking the form of a promotion charge, having ended the first tranche of red-ball fixtures at the top of Division Two. He will feature in the Royal London Cup, which overlaps with The Hundred.

Where Malan, traditionally an opener, slots into Middlesex's batting line-up remains to be seen. He has played three Tests for South Africa at the top of the order against England, and in his most recent first-class appearance carried his bat with an unbeaten 219 for Boland in April.

But Sam Robson and Mark Stoneman have formed an excellent opening partnership, while at No.3 Stephen Eskinazi made the first hundred of the county season before fracturing his thumb in the same game. Robbie White is currently missing with a dislocated shoulder but will likely be fit when Middlesex next play red-ball cricket in mid-June, so Malan – described by a Middlesex statement as "the perfect replacement" for Handscomb – could slot in at No.4.

^{Handscomb struggled for runs during his two seasons with Middlesex (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)}

“We are thrilled to have secured Pieter's signature for the rest of this season, and he will add a huge amount of experience and quality to our batting ranks," said Alan Coleman, Middlesex's head of men's performance cricket.

"As a batter he is vastly experienced, will be a real asset to the dressing room, and we can’t wait to welcome him into the club."

Malan has prior experience of county cricket, having turned out for Warwickshire in 2021 during their title-winning season.

He added: "I'm very excited to be joining Middlesex. They are without a doubt one of the most prestigious counties and being based at Lords makes this an incredible opportunity that I'm hoping to grab with both hands.

"They've had an excellent start to the season and hopefully I can come over and contribute to even more success on the field."