JOHN Hastings has linked up with Worcestershire as their 2017 overseas player - and new skipper Joe Leach believes he can make a massive impact on and off the field.

Hastings flew in from Australia earlier in the week and is on course to be fit and firing for the start of the season after winter patella tendon surgery.

The 31-year-old - who has played for his country at Test, ODI and T20I level - has already shown his capabilities in county cricket with Durham.

But now he will have the task of helping a young but maturing group of players fulfil their potential.

Leach, Worcestershire's leading wicket-taker for the past two seasons, wasted no time in meeting up with Hastings within minutes of arriving at New Road.

He said: "I've spoken to him a little bit already and he comes across as someone who is just going to be brilliant for our dressing room.

"I'm really, really excited about him joining us.

I've heard a lot about him from the Durham lads and there is no-one I spoke to said a bad word about him.

"He is exactly what we need. His qualities as a cricketer speak for themselves. He is someone of proven international pedigree who has taken wickets in the Sheffield Shield and has taken wickets over here for Durham.

"He wants to come here and win, he wants to come here and do well for us. He has worked his backside off by all accounts to make sure he is fit to play for us and he has come over early.

"What is really exciting is he wants to come here, he wants to win and he wants us to do well and he wants to be a part of that. That is just fantastic."

Hastings has happy memories of New Road and on his last County Championship appearance there picked up seven second innings wickets as Durham turned probable defeat into victory.

But it is what he can bring to the County away from the middle which Leach is also enthusiastic about.

Leach said: "It's almost insulting sometimes when you talk about people as a cricketer because his quality speaks for itself.

"It's more what he can bring to us as a dressing room now as we come out of that 'development' phase into that 'right, we need to produce results' phase.

"I know he wants to come here and win games of cricket so that is fantastic."