NEW skipper Joe Leach believes Australian paceman John Hastings will be a brilliant addition to Worcestershire’s bowling attack.

The 31-year-old was a regular part of the Australian limited-overs team last year until he was dropped for the Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand.

The former Durham bowler has overcome a tendon injury in his right knee which he suffered in the winter playing Sheffield Shield cricket for Victoria against Tasmania.

“John will be brilliant for us,” said all-rounder Leach who has replaced Daryl Mitchell as captain.

“We played against him when he was at Durham two years ago. He was a fantastic addition to their side and is not going to be anything different for us.

“He’s a brilliant character and will be a good clubman. Hopefully he will take wickets as well.”

Leach snapped up a superb 65-wicket haul from 15 Championship appearances last season and was crowned the County's players' player of the year for the second summer running.

Only eight bowlers finished with 50 or more wickets in Division Two — a testament to the flatter pitches produced under the toss rule.

But Leach will be grateful to the support from Hastings because Worcestershire at times struggled to bowl teams out twice in the four-day format.

“I am very hopeful we can return to the force of a bowling unit we were previously,” said Leach.

“We were a very consistent bowling unit before last season and hopefully we can return to that.

“John gives us a point of difference with his pace and offers us more options.

“To take 20 wickets in a match we will need to have as many options as we can and bringing in someone like John expands it."

Leach thinks Worcestershire can improve on their third-place finish in last season’s County Championship Division Two.

“Our team have played a lot of cricket together and hopefully we are ready to kick on to the next level,” said Leach, 26.

“I feel we have been through a developmental phase and are ready to show what we’re worth.

“We have a very good chance in Division Two.

“There are four or five teams in Division Two who the experts keep mentioning.

“I think it will be open and the first time in a while any one of five or six teams could win it.

“It’s going to be about the team who are the most consistent, win the most games and are resilient when they are not on top — that’s the message we will be giving to the lads.”

The skipper admits Worcestershire will also be targeting runs in the NatWest T20 Blast and the Royal London One-Day Cup.

“We are targeting all three competitions — that’s the way I like to play my cricket and I am sure the rest of the side feel the same,” said Leach.

“Why not go for all three competitions and see where it takes us?

“At the start of last season’s T20 tournament we were probably the most talked-about team in the country and everyone seemed to be raving about us.

“We fell away quite sharply which can happen in a competition like that.

“But we are a good side in white-ball cricket and will be a team who people won’t want to play against.

"Everyone talks about finals day — let’s do our best and win it.”