HEAD coach Alan Richardson believes Worcestershire have signed “a very ambitious and driven player” in New Zealand all-rounder Nathan Smith for the 2024 season.

Richardson confirmed Smith will be flying into England in time for Worcestershire’s opening County Championship Division One game with Warwickshire at Edgbaston beginning on April 5.

He is available to play all formats for Worcestershire throughout the summer.

The 25-year-old is scheduled to end the Plunkett Shield four-day competition, in which he is playing for Wellington, on March 27.

Smith this week returned his career best figures of 6-36 from 14.4 overs against Canterbury in the first of a block of four games in four weeks.

He picked up the first five wickets and then returned to dismiss the last man.

Richardson said: "I haven’t got any confirmed date yet for when Nathan arrives – but he will certainly be here for the first game.

"I’m in communication at the moment with his Head Coach at Wellington, Scott Jurgensen.

"We are trying to come up with a really nice plan for that transition from Nathan going from a full-on season at NZ, to give him the best chance to finish the season strongly for Wellington and also giving him a real opportunity to enjoy his time with us as well."

Richardson has been impressed with Smith in his conversations with the 25-year-old and believes he will be another positive addition on and off the pitch.

"In my conversations with Nathan, he comes across as a very ambitious and driven player," added Richardson.

"No doubt he will have an eye on trying to get some international recognition and I hope he sees Worcestershire as an opportunity to continue his journey and his development as a cricketer.

"We know he is a player with some high skill levels but we are getting some good reports back that he is a very strong character off the field as well and will only add to our changing room.

"It’s a brilliant experience for us to have someone like Nathan, and I’m sure the players will feed off him, but hopefully for Nathan it will be an amazing experience for him as well."