The 33-year-old, who's represented Australia A during a career highlighted by his starring roles in WA's Sheffield Shield 'threepeat', has signed a three-year deal with Yorkshire, where he was born in Doncaster.
It effectively ends any last lingering hope the classy left-hander might have had about playing for Australia, as his British passport has allowed the Leeds-based county to sign him as a locally registered player, who'll feature in all three competitions - the County Championship, Blast and One-Day Cup.
A batter with 17 first-class hundreds under his belt - the latest coming in his most recent innings against Victoria in Melbourne in December - will join his new county, where among his teammates will be England batters Joe Root and Harry Brook, after the domestic season finishes.
"I'm thrilled to have signed with my home county," said Whiteman, who moved with his family from Doncaster to Bunbury when he was three.
"The timing is right for me to return to the UK and once the opportunity arose for me to sign with Yorkshire, it was one that was too good for me to turn down."
Yorkshire believe they have made a fine capture. Gavin Hamilton, the club's general manager of cricket, said: "Sam is an exceptional batter and a proven leader.
"He is an excellent signing for us and we are all so delighted to be signing him on a long-term contract. He has a very impressive record, and he is the profile of batsman and player that we value highly.
"He will be an incredibly important asset for us ... We are all looking forward to welcoming Sam home in April."
Whiteman captained WA to Sheffield Shield titles in 2023 and 2024, winning the man of the match award in the latter. He was also player of the match in 2022, when they won the first of their three consecutive crowns.
This isn't his first experience of English cricket, either. Whiteman played for Northamptonshire in 2023, scoring 913 runs in 11 Championship and eight one-day games, and he's also played league cricket in Sussex and Surrey.
