By JMB
November 24 2006

Anthony McGrath has turned down the offer of the Yorkshire captaincy and a three year contract, and repeated his wishes to be released from the county. Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan said "We are bitterly disappointed that Anthony has turned down this opportunity. He has been a Yorkshire player since his teens, and it is sad that he no longer wants to be a part of the club. I have personally spent several hours with him over the past couple of weeks, offered him the captaincy and a very lucrative contract but he still wishes to go elsewhere."

This is the latest in a winter of setbacks for the club and could well end in the hands of lawyers as Yorkshire seem determined to hold McGrath to the last to years of his existing contract deal.

Regan added "We are not prepared to release him from his obligation. Unfortunately, it is my understanding that he wishes to try and break his contract. If he does not want to play for the club then it will ultimately end up in solicitors hands. It is a very sad state of affairs. This Club has taken some knocks in recent weeks, but it's been around for 143 years, and I'm sure it'll be here for many more. It's at times like this that we need to be united, and I hope members and staff will now get behind the players, in particular the younger lads who will certainly get their chances next season"

This leaves Yorkshire without a captain after Adams u-turn back to Sussex and without two frontline batsmen in McGrath and Michael Lumb, who recently left to join Hampshire.