Crawley lifted the National League trophy in 1999

"The exact terms between the parties are subject to a formal written agreement, which is the subject of a confidentiality obligation," the statement added.

Hampshire have called a 4.00pm news conference at their Rose Bowl ground at which Crawley's signing is expected to be formally announced.

Crawley scored more than 15,000 runs in 11 seasons with Lancashire, but things turned sour last summer as the team struggled in the County Championship.

They only narrowly avoided relegation, having finished as runners-up in the two previous years, and Crawley was subsequently stripped of the captaincy.

The 30-year-old informed the club last November that he wanted to leave and make a fresh start elsewhere.

His request was turned down by the club, but he vowed that he would never play for them again due to "irreconcilable differences".

The Contracts Appeal hearing took place last month and the panel decided that Lancashire were not in breach of their agreement with Crawley.

Crawley will no longer wear the Red Rose

But his lawyers have now secured his release and he will now seek to revive his international career with Hampshire, who won promotion from Championship Division Two last summer.

Crawley scored more than 1,300 runs in 29 Test appearances, including three centuries, but has not figured since playing against Australia in Sydney more than three years ago.

He is the second former England player to change counties after agreeing to buy out his contract, with Aftab Habib having joined Essex after Leicestershire agreed to release him 12 months early.