Kent decide against Clark

Stuart Clark will no longer be coming to Kent as their overseas player for the first half of the 2010 season. Clark, 34, has recently returned to Australian domestic cricket after missing nearly three months with a back injury, and the county decided against taking a chance on his fitness.

The county has released a statement indicating that Clark "is not where the club wants him to be fitness-wise so the decision has been reached that it is not worth the risk, on either part, in proceeding with the contract."

"I'm very disappointed that Stuart is not coming to Kent because he offers so much - both on and off the field," said Paul Farbrace, Kent's team director. "I would like to thank him for his honesty throughout as it made the decision that much easier."

Clark has represented Australia 24 times in Test matches, taking 94 wickets at a miserly 23.86, but was discarded after Australia's unsuccessful Ashes campaign last year. While conceding that his international career is in all likelihood over, he had identified a county stint as a new career objective and has also captained his state side - the New South Wales Blues - in the absence of regular skipper Simon Katich.

"We are continuing to work on other options, as we have been for the last couple of months," added Farbrace. "We had someone lined up, as a possible alternative, but he has just been named by his country in their World Twenty20 squad. We are looking for someone that will offer value for money, and is the right type of individual to bring into our dressing room, but won't sign someone for the sake of it."