Can Worcestershire hold Tongue tied down?
Josh Tongue was fast to speak up Worcestershire’s position in him profitable his first Test cap for England in opposition to Ireland at Lord’s this week, however it stays to be seen if he’ll nonetheless be on the county in 2024.
Tongue is the primary Worcestershire participant to make a males’s Test debut for England since Moeen Ali in 2014, and mentioned on Tuesday that his debut can be “a massive thing” for the membership. “There are a lot of people at Worcester who have influenced my career,” he added.
But Tongue is amongst various Worcestershire gamers whose offers with the county are because of finish this 12 months and June 1, the day of his debut, additionally marks the date when county cricketers whose contracts expire on the finish of a season are free to speak to different golf equipment.
Jack Haynes, the 22-year-old batter, can also be out of contract this season, and dropping both participant can be a big blow for Worcestershire. Both Haynes and Tongue are graduates of the membership’s academy, and had been a part of England Lions’ tour to Sri Lanka earlier this 12 months.
Worcestershire have loved a powerful begin to the 2023 season on the pitch: they’re joint-third in Division Two of the County Championship with two wins from six and have gained all three of their T20 Blast video games so far.
But off it, they’re in a state of flux. The membership reported an annual lack of simply over £200,000 for 2022 and their monetary well being relies on ECB distributions, which account for round 60% of their annual earnings.
The membership introduced an intention to nominate a director of cricket in July 2022 however the place stays vacant, with Paul Pridgeon – the top of their ‘cricket steering group’, an unpaid position – answerable for contract negotiations with gamers and their representatives.
Elsewhere, various gamers who’ve been a part of current England squads are out of contract. James Bracey and David Payne’s offers with Gloucestershire are up on the finish of the 12 months, whereas Dan Lawrence – who was right now launched from the England Test squad for T20 Blast responsibility – is within the last 12 months of his Essex deal and Jordan Cox is in the identical scenario at Kent.
Matt Parkinson, who made his Test debut a 12 months in the past this week, dropped out of Lancashire’s Championship aspect earlier this 12 months and can also be within the last 12 months of his contract. He is now free to talk to different counties as he weighs up his future.
Parkinson performed one recreation on mortgage at Durham earlier this 12 months, however they’re understood to have lined up his twin brother Callum as their predominant spin-bowling goal, having relied on abroad spinners within the Championship this season.
The opening of county cricket’s ‘switch window’ comes at a time when participant contracts are up for dialogue, with administrators of cricket just lately calling for an “urgent” review into the usual 12-month contract because of the proliferation of English gamers concerned in franchise tournaments world wide.