McGrath walks out on Yorkshire

Anthony McGrath: walked out on Yorkshire © Getty Images

Yorkshire's off-field problems have surfaced again with the news that former England allrounder Anthony McGrath has left the club with immediate effect.

It had been widely reported that McGrath was unsettled, and he had been linked with other counties even though he had three years remaining on his contract.

In a statement issued through his agent, McGrath announced that he had left Yorkshire. "It is obviously very sad for me that I will not be playing for Yorkshire any more," he said. "I have been here since I was 11 years old and have been a professional at the club for 14 years." He strenuously denied reports that the decision was made for financial reasons.

A statement from Yorkshire said that the county had only learned of the player's decision through the press release. "The club would like to put on record that it has worked tirelessly over the past few months trying to find a solution to the grievances raised by Anthony," it said. "This has included the offer of releasing him from two years of his contract at the end of the 2007 season if he was still unhappy. In addition, he has subsequently been offered the captaincy of the club, an improved package of personal terms and the chance to lead the team he has played for since his childhood thus being able to address many of the deficiencies he complained of in 2006. In all cases he chose to turn down the club's offers."

Stewart Regan, the county's chief executive, added that legal advice was being sought. "We believe he is in breach of his contract in trying to terminate his agreement with the club in this way. We have tried endlessly to resolve the differences Anthony has with the club and feel very hurt that he has chosen to try and break his contract in this manner after being with us for so long. We are now in discussions with our solicitors regarding the possibility of legal action against Anthony and also prospectively against his agent regarding his role in this matter."

Recent events, including the departure of David Byas and the farcical transfer that never was of Chris Adams, have added to the feeling that Yorkshire are in the sort of mess than dogged them through the 1970s and 1980s.