Former England batsman Gary Ballance will play international cricket for his native Zimbabwe for at least the next two seasons.

Zimbabwe Cricket’s announcement comes just a day after Ballance was released from his county contract by Yorkshire. He will also be playing his domestic cricket in Zimbabwe.

Ballance, who was born in Zimbabwe, played 23 Tests for England between 2014 and 2017, scoring nearly 1,500 runs at an average of 37.45.

The 33-year-old is trying to rebuild his cricket career after spending the past 12 months out of the game due to mental health issues.

He represented Zimbabwe at the U19 World Cup in 2016 before making the move to the UK.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Zimbabwe Cricket and can’t wait to start work with some great coaches and talented players,” he said in a statement.

“The opportunity to represent Zimbabwe has given me a new-found passion and excitement for the game.

“I have kept in touch with a number of people within Zimbabwe cricket over the years and it has been great to watch their recent progress especially.”

Zimbabwe’s director of cricket Hamilton Masakadza said: “He’s a great addition to our domestic and international set-up and we are looking forward to him making a massive difference for us.”