Skipper Katich to end Derby stay

Derbyshire captain Simon Katich will quit the county at the end of the year in a bid to earn an Australia recall.

The 32-year-old admitted the strain of playing consecutive campaigns for his county and Australian state New South Wales had taken its toll.

"I have thought long and hard about this decision and it has been a difficult one for me to make," he said.

"Being captain of both sides would make it very difficult because you can't keep going at 100% the whole time."

Derbyshire head of cricket John Morris said a desire to add to his 23 Test caps - the last of which cane in November 2005 - was behind Katich's decision.

"I am obviously disappointed that Simon feels unable to come back next year due to the fact that he still has ambitions to play for Australia," Morris said.

"Simon feels that if he is to achieve his ambition to one-day play for Australia again, he needs to commit his future to New South Wales.

"We have made a financial offer that I am sure was very attractive, but I have to respect Simon's decision is not financial but purely to do with his own ambitions as an Australian player."

Katich, who has averaged more than 75 this summer, has previously played for Durham, Hampshire and Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, pace duo Graham Wagg and Tom Lungley have signed new contracts which commit them to Derbyshire until the end of 2009.

Source: BBC Sport