Yorks tie down Gale, Root and Ashraf

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Andrew Gale hopes to "lead Yorkshire to success over the next two, three and five years" after extending his contract until the end of 2014

Andrew Gale and Joe Root have committed their futures to Yorkshire by signing contract extensions until the end of 2014 while Moin Ashraf has penned a deal shorter by one year.

Gale, who was appointed captain at Headingley Carnegie in December 2009, had to watch on from the sidelines as his team suffered relegation in the LV= County Championship last term, after suffering a broken arm in the closing weeks of the season.

The 27-year-old is confident the club can bounce back, however, and is delighted to have agreed a new deal.

He said: “I see this new contract as a continuation of my Yorkshire career. I love playing for Yorkshire and I’ve got a hell of a lot of pride in what I do. I love captaining the club and hope that can continue and I can start to lead Yorkshire to success over the next two, three and five years.”

Root, still only 20, enjoyed an impressive first full season in domestic cricket, scoring 937 first-class runs and breaking into the England Lions team.

The Sheffield-born batsman, who is currently training with the England Performance Programme squad at Loughborough, follows Azeem Rafiq and Gary Ballance in agreeing a contract extension.

Seamer Ashraf, 19, made his senior Yorkshire debut in 2010 and has appeared in 11 first-class and four List A matches, the highlight being championship figures of 5-32 against Kent at Headingley in September.

Gale added: “The youngsters like Root, Rafiq and Ballance did well when they came in last year and I think by giving them long-term contracts it gives them security and confidence that the club is backing them.

“Although it was a tough 2011 summer the club is backing them all the way and, like I’ve said from the outset, if we can keep this group of young players together for a long period of time we can be successful.”

Chairman Colin Graves said: “We have now got a situation in place where all our players are on fairly long-term contracts.

“We have showed the faith in them and we would now like to see them respond next year on the pitch.”

Director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon revealed Yorkshire have funds to bring in another player, if they fit the bill.

He said: “We have got potential for making another signing, but unless the right guy comes along, then we are not going to rush into something.

“We have got that option, if we want to take that up.”

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