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Afzaal Leaves Notts

Thursday, September 25 2003

England test batsman Usman Afzaal has been allowed to speak to other counties in the hope of relaunching his international career.

The left handed middle order batsman played three tests for England during the 2001 Ashes series. Afzaal was at the crease when England beat Australia at Headingley thanks to Mark Butcher's epic 173 not out, and scored 54 in the final test at The Oval, but his form has dipped dramatically in the last year.

In 2002 Afzaal scored a career best 1275 runs at 45, but averaged just 20 in the seven championship games he was picked for in 2003 - his 161* against India A and his maiden List A hundred the only bright points in a difficult year for the 26 year old.

Afzaal made his debut in 1995 and has spent his entire career to date at Trent Bridge. Both parties feel a change in environment would be for the best. Afzaal has scored 6692 FC runs at an average of 32.

Meanwhile, Durham's 23 year old all rounder Micheal Gough has left, saying he 'lost his appetite' for cricket, and Leics have offered Australian overseas star Brad Hodge a new contract.

Gough toured Bangladesh and New Zealand with England A in the winter of 1999-2000, but his promising career never took off.

In contrast, Hodge has been a revelation. He scored 1495 runs at 62 for Leicestershire this season, including five hundreds. His 302* was one of just three triple hundreds, and was a county record. Hodge achieved this despite The Foxes struggling all year and being relegated in both forms.

Leicestershire announced they have released Trevor Ward, Jamie Grove, Matt Whiley, Vasbert Drakes and will be without Devon Malcolm who announced his retirement recently.

Posted by James