Solanki commits to Worcs

Worcestershire captain Vikram Solanki has signed a new four-year contract which will keep him at New Road until the end of the 2012 campaign.

The former England one-day player has 12 months left of his current deal but has agreed extended terms which will take him up to the age of 37.

Solanki, who made his first-class debut for the county in 1995, skippered Worcestershire to promotion from Division Two of the LV County Championship last season, his fourth at the helm.

He also hit his highest first-class score of 270 against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham in 2008 and became the first player in the country to reach 1,000 championship runs for the season.

“I have signed a new four-year contract which is great for me,” Solanki said. “I have a long association with the club and I am very pleased to extend that association.

Vikram Solanki is delighted to have secured his Worcs future for a further three years

“I have immensely enjoyed my time at Worcestershire, have been fortunate enough to play with some superb players - Graeme Hick amongst others - and I am happy to sign a new deal.”

Director of cricket Steve Rhodes is delighted Solanki has followed prolific opener Stephen Moore, the leading run-scorer in the country last season, in pledging his future to Worcestershire.

Moore attracted interest from a dozen counties before putting pen to paper on a new three-year deal.

Rhodes said: “Vikram is an integral part of the side as captain and a major batsman. He has been here a long time now and it is important we make sure that we secure his future and that of the good players.

“Stephen Moore signed a new three-year contract at the end of last season and it is nice we can keep them here when you see a lot of the smaller clubs losing players to the big clubs.”

Worcestershire have introduced 12-month contracts for their players for the first time and Solanki is already viewing 2009 with optimism.

He said: “The fact we are all working together as a group throughout the winter has never been done before - that is very different.

“We are fitter as a squad and we will start the season with a certain amount of optimism.”