London, Jan 28 (IANS): English cricket county club Yorkshire Wednesday signed Australian batsmen Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell for the 2015 season.
Both stars, currently playing for Australia in the tri-Series and part of their World Cup squad, will arrive at Headingley after their Indian Premier League (IPL) commitments in May, according to ecb.co.uk.
Opening batsman Finch, 28, returns for a second spell with the White Rose, having impressed last season, and is available for County Championship, Royal London One-Day Cup and NatWest T20 Blast cricket.
Batting all-rounder Maxwell will represent the Vikings in the Blast, a competition where Yorkshire will play six of their seven home matches under new floodlights.
The high-profile signings of Finch and Maxwell means first-team coach Jason Gillespie will have both Australia's T20 skipper and hard-hitting Maxwell at his disposal in the Blast, which they have never won.
"As a club we’re absolutely thrilled to bits to be able to secure the services of two very exciting players in world cricket. Aaron has been at the club before and for Glenn this will be his first experience at Yorkshire County Cricket Club," Gillespie said.
“I spoke to Glenn a little while ago and just enquired as to whether he would be interested in representing Yorkshire and outlined how we saw how well he could fit into the dressing room and the role we wanted him to play. He jumped at the opportunity. I think that says a lot about our club, that players really want to come and play for us.”
Finch arrived at this club last season as the number-one ranked T20 batsman in the world but, despite hitting two fifties, it was his four-day performances which caught the eye.
Filling the void left by current New Zealand vice-captain Kane Williamson, the 28-year-old struck 629 runs and one century at an average of 48.50 in six innings in Yorkshire’s title-winning campaign.