12:00pm Saturday 28th August 2010
By Bruce Talbot
Amjad Khan is almost certainly on his way to Sussex after Kent confirmed he would not be offered a new contract.
The county made an official approach for the 29-year-old Danish-born seam bowler last month and further talks have since taken place.
Sussex would not comment and any announcement that they have signed Khan would not be made until the end of the season for fear of distracting a squad who are chasing promotion in the County Championship.
Somerset are also keen on signing him but Sussex are firm favourites to bring him to Hove on a three-year contract.
Khan has had nine seasons at Canterbury, during which time he broke into the England team and played a Test match and one-day international against West Indies in 2008.
He is Kent’s leading wicket-taker in the first division this season with 35 but the county have conceded that they are unable to offer him a new deal.
Khan said: “Ideally I would have liked to have continued my career with Kent but it is not to be.
“I sympathise with Kent’s off-field financial pressures and know that the key people wanted me to stay.
“But I look forward to new challenges with renewed vigour and believe I have what it takes to put myself back in the England frame.”
Kent chief executive Jamie Clifford said: “These are financially difficult times and we are not in a position to make Amjad a meaningful offer.
Copenhagen-born Amjad represented Denmark at the age of 17.
He took 63 wickets in his first season with Kent and 55 in 2005, when he was also granted British citizenship, to earn himself place in England’s Academy squad.
He was called-up to the one-day squad for the tour to India in 2008 which was abandoned because of the Mumbai riots but he made his England debut the following winter.
However he missed the whole of last season after undergoing knee surgery.
Kent skipper Robert Key said: “It is disappointing that the club couldn’t offer Amjad a contract that would have seen him stay. “He has been a pleasure to play cricket with over the last nine seasons and I have no doubt that our loss will be another county’s gain.”
Meanwhile there was frustration for Sussex when the first day’s play in their top-two battle with Glamorgan at Hove yesterday was abandoned without a ball bowled.
Morning rain finally stopped at noon but after three inspections umpires Peter Willey and Barry Dudleston called it off at 3.30pm because parts of the outfield were too damp. The game starts today at 11am.
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