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Australia's leading strike bowler, Glenn McGrath, is set to sign a two-year contract with Worcestershire which could net him around £200,000.

Although official approval still has to be given by the Australian Cricket Board, the fast bowler, who entered negotiations with the Midlands club at the start of the World Cup, has expressed his satisfaction with the deal.

At least three other counties were interested in McGrath, who would be taking over from fellow Australian Tom Moody at New Road next summer. McGrath, 29, will miss the 2001 summer when Australia are due to tour England and will return for his second year in the following season.

During the negotiations with Worcestershire chairman John Elliott and Martin Horton, chairman of the cricket committee, McGrath quizzed the county both about the quality of their pitches and the standard of the team's catching. He was apparently reassured on both scores. He also agreed to take on one or two public relations engagements for the club.

Worcestershire also wanted to know what McGrath's attitude would be if when he joined them they had been relegated next year to division two of the County Championship.

McGrath indicated that this would be no bar to signing the contract and that he would then see it as his job to get them back into the top division.

It is understood that Worcestershire had to look for outside sponsorship to fund the contract. McGrath will be paid around twice as much as any other player at the club.

While Horton would not divulge the financial details, he did observe: ``The money overseas players are demanding from English clubs these days makes you wonder where it will all end. Most counties couldn't afford overseas players without sponsorship. We're very excited at the prospect of McGrath coming to Worcester. He's the best quality bowler in the world.''

Moody himself played a part as go-between in bringing the negotiations to fruition and Horton said of the Australian, who has spent eight seasons with Worcestershire: ``We'll all be very sorry to see Tom go, not just as a player for he has been wonderful for public relations for the county. He was the perfect professional.''

Moody, 33, has indicated that he would like to spend an English summer at home in Western Australia but it is very likely that he might be head-hunted by a county here since his coaching qualities are highly rated.

With Moody's departure Worcestershire will have to look for another captain and it is thought that the county will be looking to Graeme Hick to take over the job - but that might be dependent on the batsman no longer holding down an England Test place.

In English counties' pursuit of Australian talent, McGrath has overtaken Shane Warne. Sussex, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire were all interested when the leg-spinner said earlier this season that he wanted to play here.

Money and fitness are the key to further progress. Warne would be looking for at least as much as McGrath but after his shoulder operation there was doubt about his ability to last a county summer. Like McGrath, Warne's performances in the World Cup will have assuaged many of those doubts and the chase is likely to quicken for his signature.