The right-arm seamer announced his international retirement prior to England’s four-Test series against South Africa, with the final game set to mark his last appearance in a Proteas shirt. No sooner had he confirmed his decision than speculation turned to figuring out which county would sign him as a non-overseas, with Somerset soon emerging as the prime contender.

“As a Club, our procedures usually dictate that we only comment on player acquisitions when the deal is finalised,” said Hurry. “However, this story has been circulating through various outlets over the last few days and we feel that it is important that our members and supporters receive information on such speculation through the official channels.”