Udal confirmed as Middlesex captain for 2009

	'I have been fortunate to have achieved a few things in my career but this is right up there with my proudest moments' © Getty Images

The Middlesex captain, Shaun Udal, has been named the club's skipper for 2009, the decision rubber-stamped by the county's new director of cricket, Angus Fraser. Udal is currently in Antigua for the Stanford Super Series, as Middlesex prepare to take on England tomorrow.

"He's done a great job for us in the last couple of months and when I broke the news to Shaun today, he was very emotional and very excited," Vinny Codrington, the Middlesex chief executive, told the club's website. "I believe with Gus [Fraser], Toby [Radford] and Shaun we have a formidable team in charge of cricket in Middlesex, which can only bring future success."

"It is an unbelievable honour to captain this great and proud club and it is my intention to return it to its glory days of years gone by," said Udal. "I have been fortunate to have achieved a few things in my career but this is right up there with my proudest moments and I look forward to the future with great anticipation.

"I was truly touched when Vinny told me the news and I can promise our supporters I will give my all to the club. I also applaud the choice of Gus Fraser [as Middlesex's director of cricket] and look forward enormously to working closely with him."