Warwickshire agree to release Wagh

Warwickshire have agreed to release Mark Wagh to allow him to sign for Nottinghamshire. He had two years of his existing contract left to run.

Wagh had reportedly been unsettled for some time, and the announcement was not a surprise. "It's been a very hard decision for me as I have spent my whole cricketing career at Warwickshire and I would like to thank them for their understanding," he said. "I just feel a new start will help me and I'm looking forward to the challenge of proving myself in a new environment."

"When Mark approached us with this request we considered the options," Warwickshire's chief executive, Colin Povey, added. "[We} concluded that if Mark believes he will have better opportunities at Notts then we should not stand in his way."

Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire's director of cricket, was understandably more upbeat. "Mark is an accomplished batsman and I believe he can be the answer for us at No. 3 in the Championship," he said. "It's been a problem position for us for the last couple of seasons but Mark has all the attributes to be a success there. I'm confident he's got plenty of good years ahead of him and along with Jason Gallian and Will Jefferson, I think we now have a high-quality top order.

"I think Mark is ready for a fresh start and this move may be just what he needs to get him enjoying playing cricket again. I've seen him play well against us on a number of occasions, so I've always kept any eye on his progress, and I'm delighted he's signed."