Birmingham Bears net a New Zealand star

The 33-year-old, one of the most explosive performers in cricket, led the the Black Caps to the final of the World Cup this month.

McCullum will first be in England touring with his country before joining up with the Bears, who could hand him his debut when they begin the NatWest T20 Blast at Lancashire Lightning.

He's the leading run scorer in the history of international T20s with 2,105 runs at an average of 35.67, including two centuries.

He has enjoyed previous spells in England with Sussex Sharks and Glamorgan and was one of the leading run scorers in last year's Indian Premier League, scoring 405 runs for the Chennai Super Kings.

He said: "The Birmingham Bears had a great season last year, including winning the NatWest T20 Blast. Hopefully, I can make a big contribution and ensure that we can progress in the tournament.

"Edgbaston is a fantastic ground to play at and, hopefully, it will be rocking for the big Friday night matches. I'm really excited about becoming a Bear and the challenge ahead."

Bears director of cricket Dougie Brown added: "Brendon's dynamic performances in the World Cup have demonstrated once again exactly why he is one of the most feared batsmen in the game.

"Securing his availability for our last seven games has to make him one of the biggest overseas player signings in the competition's history.

"His power at the top of the order and experience of playing in big matches are great assets to bolster our already-strong squad, as we look to win through to the quarter finals and defend our Blast title."

Bears supporters will have the chance to see McCullum in action in three home matches at Edgbaston.

He will be action for the Friday night games wth Derbyshire Falcons on July 3 and Lightning on Friday 17 July, plus the visit of Northamptonshire Steelbacks on Wednesday July 22.

Brown said: "It was great to see bigger crowds at Edgbaston for our Friday night Blast matches last season.

"Hopefully, the opportunity to see one of the greatest limited overs batsmen of the modern game will ensure that we get even more fans to Edgbaston and supporting the Bears in the new season."

Under-16s go free to all seven of the Bears home matches in this year's Blast.

Adult tickets are available at the Early Bird price of £14, including the booking fee, until midnight on April 23.

Advance prices increase to £18 for Adults from bApril 24 and £22 on the gate. Visit www.edgbaston.com or call the ticket hotline on 0844 847 1902 to purchase.