Hampshire want the last of Warne

Shane Warne: back on course for county cricket? © Getty Images

Hampshire are confident Shane Warne will sign an extension to his current contract to keep him at the club until he retires.

Warne, who's contracted until September 2004, was due to captain the side last season, but had to serve a year-long ban after failing a drugs test. John Crawley took over instead and Hampshire had a disappointing season, winning only two matches in the County Championship. However, Warne's ban comes to an end on February 10 of this year, and hence he will be able to take charge this summer.

Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire's chairman, told BBC Radio Solent: "I'd like Shane to be here for the rest of his playing days. It would be very fitting if he was to finish here - I'm sure he'd like to play for Hampshire as long as he can. We've got an ambition to rebuild the whole fabric and structure of our squad, utilising the skills and abilities of our younger players, and we see Shane as an intrinsic part of that."

Warne himself has publicly stated that he believes he has "two or three more years" left in him. In 2005 he is likely to be touring England with Australia, but that aside he will be generally available for county games and Hampshire are believed to be aiming to sign him on a four-year contract which will run to the end of the 2007 season.