His deal with Warwickshire runs from the start of May until the end of July, and he is due to be available in both the County Championship and the T20 Blast. If he is named in Australia's squad for the WTC final - as expected - then he will likely miss a handful of Blast fixtures, with the final scheduled for June 11-15.

Other members of Australia's Test squad who are not involved in either the IPL or PSL may follow Webster's lead in seeking out county contracts in the build-up to the WTC final. Two South Africa regulars in David Bedingham (Durham) and Kyle Verreynne (Nottinghamshire) have already secured deals.

Webster will be representing his third county in as many years, after recent stints with Essex (in 2023) and Gloucestershire (in 2024). His stock has risen significantly in that time: his deal with Essex came about when he was playing club cricket in the UK, before he joined Gloucestershire for most of their successful T20 Blast campaign last summer.

"I'm really pleased to sign for the Bears for part of the 2025 season," Webster said. "Having played Birmingham League cricket [for Knowle and Dorridge] in the past, I have great memories of the people and the area. I played some Championship cricket last summer with Gloucestershire and loved the challenge of the competition."

Mark Robinson, Warwickshire's head coach, said: "We're delighted Beau has chosen to become a Bear. Since we first approached him he has made his international debut which shows how highly regarded he is thought of by Australia's selectors. As an allrounder he will give us great balance in both the Championship and Blast."