Hampshire signs Chris Morris for T20 Blast

English county Hampshire signed South African pacer Chris Morris on Wednesday for the upcoming T20 Blast.

By availing Morris, the county has signed its first overseas player this season.

Recently, the bowler was named as a replacement for Anrich Nortje in the South African 15-member World cup team.

The pacer will be available for Hampshire after his World Cup commitments and he will be seen representing the county in the T20 Blast beginning from July.

"I'm really looking forward to joining Hampshire for the Vitality Blast. It's an exciting tournament and it's an exciting summer coming up - I can't wait to get there and play at the Ageas Bowl and express what I can do," Morris said in an official statement released by Hampshire.

The 32-year-old has played 23 T20Is for South Africa and scalped 34 wickets with an average of 20.5.

Morris has an outstanding domestic record as well, taking 215 wickets at an average of 21.82. He has scored 4,600 runs at a strike-rate of 152.10.

"We were delighted when Chris agreed early on to join us for the season. He's a dynamic batsman in the middle-order and a handful with the ball both up front and at the death, so he's a great fit for us and hopefully, he'll make a big difference this summer," Giles White, Director Of Cricket, Hampshire said in an official statement.

Morris is currently playing for Delhi Capitals in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).