Kabir set to quit County (From Worcester News)

Kabir set to quit County

5:20pm Sunday 10th January 2010

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By Michael Reeves »

WORCESTERSHIRE chairman Martyn Price says the County may be ready to do a deal with want-away bowler Kabir Ali.

The 29-year-old was set to report back to pre-season training last week, but having sought legal advice he stayed away.

Director of cricket Steve Rho-des said the player, who is desperate to leave New Road, was in dispute with the County over his contract.

Last September, Kabir asked Worcestershire for his release from the final season of his contract and the New Road club reluctantly allowed him to speak to other counties, but insisted on £60,000 in compensation.

The former England pace bow-ler only spoke to Hampshire and it is thought they put an offer of a three-year deal on the table.

In the autumn, the Rose Bowl side offered Worcestershire a percentage of that fee but it fell short of what the County would accept.

Now that Kabir has refused to return to training, the club’s board will now meet next Mon-day to discuss the situation but it is believed the player will not face disciplinary action.

“Kabir has been in touch with his solicitor and been advised not to turn up for training,” said Price.

“We have a board meeting on January 18 at which we will discuss whether to hold him to his contract or do a deal.

“In the meantime I have asked Steve Rhodes, our director of cricket, and Vikram Solanki, our captain, if they can persuade Kabir that his future does lie at New Road.”

However, those pleas are likely to fall on deaf ears with the paceman hoping to join his former Worcestershire team-mate Si-mon Jones on the south coast.

Kabir believes a move to Hampshire will enhance his chances of returning to the England side.

The strike bowler, however, spent much of last season in the treatment room with hamstring and back injuries.

With most players on the county circuit having been in training since November, Kabir is going to need a lot of hard work to be fit for the start of the new season — whichever county he ends up with.

Should Worcestershire decide to hold the player to the final year of his contract they risk him becoming a negative influence in the dressing room. Given the young side that Rhodes has put together over the winter the County may feel it better to allow Kabir to leave and take whatever compensation they can get for the player.

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