Hodge rejects new contract

Brad Hodge: moving on © Getty Images

Brad Hodge has rejected a new two-year contract and will leave Leicestershire at the end of this season.

Hodge, who has been linked with a move to Lancashire, led Leicestershire to victory in the Twenty20 Cup. This summer he scored 1,548 runs in the Championship at an average of just under 62.

"After offering Brad a two-year contract on terms which reflect his standing in the game, naturally we are disappointed that he is not returning in 2005," said James Whitaker, Leicestershire's director of cricket. "Over the last 18 months Brad has developed arguably into one of the leading batsmen in the world."