Will Williams: Lancashire sign New Zealander as non-foreign player until 2025
But Williams has now signed a deal until 2025, and will no longer be considered an overseas signature as he has a UK passport.
It will be available for selection in all three formats.
It could help him feature in Friday's T20 Blast quarter-final at home to Essex, as Rose Red expect to be without five players – Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Matt Parkinson and Richard Gleeson, all of whom have been selected for T20 service in England.
"Will's situation has been on our radar for quite some time," Director of Cricket Mark Chilton said.
"He's a player we identified last winter as a possible overseas option before learning that Will also holds a UK passport and was considering the possibility of playing in the UK as a local player.
"Due to injuries and international selection, we have requested a short-term designer p For last month's County Championship games and following Will's performances in those games, and through conversations with him since, we have made the decision to upgrade his short-term overseas contract to a local player.
< p class="" data-reactid=".9lh3ndmo8e.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-9">Williams added, "It was a big decision in my life to use my legacy UK to take local player status and give up my ability to play in New Zealand."However, I felt it was an amazing opportunity to learn and grow my game."
Williams the fourth highest wicket-taker in last season's Plunkett Shield in New Zealand, with 25 dismissals for Canterbury at an average of 21.52 - and has so far taken seven wickets in two league matches county pioneer for Lancashire, including match figures of 6-112 on his debut in the win over defending champions Warwickshire.
But Williams has now signed a deal until 2025, and will no longer be considered an overseas signature as he has a UK passport.
It will be available for selection in all three formats.
It could help him feature in Friday's T20 Blast quarter-final at home to Essex, as Rose Red expect to be without five players – Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Matt Parkinson and Richard Gleeson, all of whom have been selected for T20 service in England.
"Will's situation has been on our radar for quite some time," Director of Cricket Mark Chilton said.
"He's a player we identified last winter as a possible overseas option before learning that Will also holds a UK passport and was considering the possibility of playing in the UK as a local player.
"Due to injuries and international selection, we have requested a short-term designer p For last month's County Championship games and following Will's performances in those games, and through conversations with him since, we have made the decision to upgrade his short-term overseas contract to a local player.
< p class="" data-reactid=".9lh3ndmo8e.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-9">Williams added, "It was a big decision in my life to use my legacy UK to take local player status and give up my ability to play in New Zealand."However, I felt it was an amazing opportunity to learn and grow my game."
Williams the fourth highest wicket-taker in last season's Plunkett Shield in New Zealand, with 25 dismissals for Canterbury at an average of 21.52 - and has so far taken seven wickets in two league matches county pioneer for Lancashire, including match figures of 6-112 on his debut in the win over defending champions Warwickshire.
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