Spin bowler Shane Warne is considering becoming a German citizen so his English county cricket club can recruit another overseas player.

Rod Bransgrove, chairman for Hampshire county cricket - the club Warne captains - told The Weekend Australian newspaper the pair had discussed the idea.

"I've sat down with Shane and had a long discussion with him and he went away from the meeting quite happy with the idea," Bransgrove told the newspaper.

"It is theoretically possible, once Shane receives his German passport, that we would then register him as a local, and not an import, allowing my county to recruit, in effect, a second overseas player (besides Australian fast bowler Stuart Clark)."

Next year, clubs will be allowed to have only two international players, and EU court rulings allow the counties to treat EU players as domestic players.

Warne's mother, Brigitte, was born in Germany, The Weekend Australian reports, and moved to Australia when she was five.

A spokesman for the German consulate said it appeared Warne, 37, would be eligible to apply to become a German citizen, but he would have to renounce his Australian citizenship.

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