Mir rejoins Worcestershire as Swanepoel departs

Worcestershire have re-signed Pakistan international bowler Usama Mir for the rest of the season as a replacement for all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel.

Mir returns for a second spell of County Championship cricket with the Pears, having made his first-class debut for the club back in 2023.

The leg-spinner will be available for their final three Division Two fixtures, including the home match with Northamptonshire, which begins on Tuesday.

He has already played white-ball cricket for Worcestershire this season after signing a three-year T20 deal earlier this year and from 2027 will be classified as a 'local' player.

"Usama is someone we know very well and is a high-class operator who will bring plenty of experience to our side for the final three County Championship matches," Worcestershire head coach Alan Richardson told the club website.

"Given the short turnaround we had to act swiftly to find a replacement, so to be able to add him to the squad before Tuesday is a real boost for us."

All-rounder Swanepoel has returned to South Africa earlier than planned for domestic cricket commitments.

The 28-year-old featured in eight of Worcestershire's 11 Division Two matches this season and played in both their T20 Blast and One Day Cup campaigns.

Swanepoel took 31 wickets, including the best figures of 5-65, and averaged 22 with the bat, hitting a top score of 63 not out against Lancashire last month.

"Beyers has had a very positive impact on the squad during his time with us and has grown as the season has progressed, adding real value to our red ball side," Richardson added.

"He joined us initially on a red-ball contract but has ended up playing his part across all three formats, and has made contributions with both bat and ball, which speaks real volumes."