PEARS overseas signing John Hastings is on target to make his Worcestershire bow in the opening game of the new season.
Director of cricket Steve Rhodes revealed the Australian all-rounder could make his debut against Glamorgan on April 14.
The paceman suffered a patella tendon injury at the back end of last year whilst playing for Australian state side Victoria.
Despite the initial fears Hastings might not be fit until mid-season after surgery, Rhodes has been heartened by the news from down under.
“At the moment the plan is to try and get John here early rather than late and finish off the later stages of his rehab with our medical team,” Rhodes said. “It could be the back end of March that he gets with us.
“We are just waiting for some of the normal protocol – a No Objection Certificate (from Cricket Australia) and a visa application.
“We are just waiting for those to get through and it’s all optimistic. John is back to bowling now and I think he is getting close to bowling off a long run-up. He is getting there and at the moment we are very pleased with the way he is progressing.”
While the club hope the all-rounder will make his bow in the opening game of the game, Rhodes admitted the staff didn’t want to get ‘too excited’.
“If something went wrong in his rehab programme, then it might delay things but at the moment he is in on target,” he said.