Surrey want Hamilton-Brown back

Rory Hamilton-Brown, seen here in Australia's tour match at Hove, has attracted Surrey's gaze with his all-round abilities

Surrey have requested permission to talk to Sussex all-rounder Rory Hamilton-Brown about a possible return to the club as captain from 2010.

The 22-year-old off-spinner and middle-order batsman is under contract to Sussex until the end of the 2010 season, and is currently part of this winter’s England Performance Programme intake.

Surrey confirmed that they made a formal approach at chairman level on November 13 regarding the player.

In a statement released today, Sussex said their board was “currently considering this request”.

Sussex chairman Jim May added: “This approach is most unwelcome and the timing is very unfortunate when Rory should be focusing on his time in the England Performance Programme as he seeks a place in the England Lions squad after Christmas.

“We had already offered Rory a contract extension on improved terms prior to the official approach from Surrey.

“We regard him highly as a player who has developed well since joining us. At the age of 22, Rory has very strong potential to develop an excellent career with Sussex, where we strongly believe his cricketing development will be best served.

“This is a complex situation as we have absolutely no wish to lose a player of Rory's potential, and we will consider our response carefully before any further communication.”

Born in St John’s Wood, Hamilton-Brown came through the ranks at Surrey, making his first-class debut against Bangladesh A in 2005 and playing a handful of limited-overs matches.

He went on to captain England Under-19s, but requested his own release from Surrey at the end of the 2007 season, citing a lack of first-team opportunities.

Hamilton-Brown was promptly snapped up by Sussex, and became a key part of the side that won the Twenty20 Cup and the NatWest Pro40 this season.

He also began to mark his mark in the LV= County Championship, with an unbeaten 171 against Yorkshire at Hove in September. He has played six championship games in all.

Hamilton-Brown’s former captain at Sussex, Chris Adams, is now cricket manager at the Brit Oval. Adams appointed Stewart Walters as Surrey skipper midway through last season upon Mark Butcher's retirement from the game.