Boon, 35, has signed a two-year contract as overseas player and will captain the side next season in succession to Mike Roseberry, who resigned on Saturday.

Durham's Director of Cricket, Geoff Cook, flew to Tasmania last Friday and announced that he had clinched the deal by telephone yesterday.

Cook said: ``David is very keen to come. Durham's unique situation appealed to him very much.''

Boon, captain of Tasmania, was due to play for Gloucestershire in 1995 but withdrew through injury because of a knee injury. He said: ``Playing county cricket has always been one of my ambitions and now my Test career is finished I am delighted to take up the challenge of helping Durham establish themselves.''

Boon played the last of his 107 Tests last December after scoring 7,422 runs - second only to Allan Border in the Australian list - at an average of 43.

Durham narrowly failed to secure the signature of Dean Jones at this time last year and have been impressed by the impact that Australians have made on the County Championship this season. But as Australia are touring England next summer they had to go for a player whose Test career is over.

Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa's Hansie Cronje were on their list of possibilities, but they would not have been available all season.