Worcestershire chase Hoggard

Former England bowler Matthew Hoggard is out of contract with Yorkshire at the end of the season

Worcestershire have given Yorkshire 28 days notice of approach to speak to former England seamer Matthew Hoggard.

Hoggard is out of contract at the end of the current campaign and has delayed signing a new deal at Headingley Carnegie to consider his options.

The 32-year-old has spent his entire career to date at Yorkshire, also earning 67 Test caps and making 26 one-day international appearances.

Worcestershire have also made an approach for 23-year-old Yorkshire paceman Ajmal Shahzad, who appeared alongside Hoggard against Worcestershire in last week’s LV= County Championship match at New Road, but the formal approaches were made before that fixture.

Hoggard has been offered a two-year deal with Yorkshire but admitted earlier this month his future may lie away from Headingley after being left out of the limited-overs side.

He is Yorkshire’s leading wicket-taker in the championship with 15 wickets this season.

Worcestershire denied they have also made an approach to speak to Yorkshire’s former England captain Michael Vaughan.

Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton said: “Yes, we have made approaches for Hoggard and Shahzad. But we have made no approach for Michael Vaughan.”

Meanwhile, Yorkshire have joined Surrey in the race to sign Worcestershire’s unsettled England one-day wicketkeeper Steve Davies.

Newton confirmed Worcestershire have received 28 days’ notice of approach for Davies from Yorkshire.

Davies has declined to put pen to paper on a new three-year deal offered by Worcestershire, although they have agreed the terms with his agent.

The 23-year-old has asked to keep his options open until the end of the summer when his current deal runs out.