Luke Wright

What on earth is this fluffy? Some kind of marital aid to be found in the seedier quarters of Brighton and Hove? And are batteries not included?

A disturbing rumour that the ambitious Surrey, keen to add to their already proficient squad in the First Division next year, have made a very tempting offer to Luke Wright. If that's true, and if he accepts it then you'd have to say that Surrey will be very effective challengers to Yorkshire next year, with a host of dashing batsmen, aggressive young fast bowlers, and a thoughtful and efficient coach who has skilfully blended mature stars from other places with a stream of young hopefuls from age group cricket.

As for Sussex, if Wright goes then that just hastens the need for a thorough review of the whole administrative structure of a county that squanders so much promise and achieves less and less each year.

If true and Surrey are prepared to buy out his contract - or at least to negotiate a generous-enough financial settlement in favour of his current employer- are  Sussex  going to refuse such  a request from a want-away cricketer?

Yes, there are rules about 'tapping up' contracted players. But when was the last time they were invoked? And when was the last time a county insisted on keeping a want-away player to his contract?

The last case I can remember is Ryan McLaren, who was called up by South Africa in 2009 but Kent refused to let him renounce his kolpak status so his international debut was put on hold for a year while he was kept to the third year of his contract in county cricket. It was a disastrous decision by the Kent committee: after taking something like 100 wkts in his first two seasons at an avge in the low twenties, McLaren's third year produced just 19 wkts at an average of 30-something and a crap-load of resentment.

Wasn't Hamilton-Brown still contracted to Surrey? But the Oval did the decent thing and accepted his desire to move to Sussex. Notts also permitted Shahzad to move to Sussex when he was still under contract to them, I think?

Wright loves Sussex and has been a very loyal servant. But any ambitious player is going to look very seriously at a chance to play for Surrey, a dynamic team on the up that look likely to be Yorks' strongest challenger for the championship next season and plays its T20 games in front of 20,000 spectators. Throw in the best wages in county cricket and - I'd guess - an offer for Wright to succeed the ageing Gareth Batty as club captain before too long, and I hope nobody will blame him if he is giving it serious consideration.

Sussex may yet rue not having made him club captain this summer.

The rumour is lent circumstancial evidence by the failure to announce a new captain at the same time as the resignation/removal of Joyce. It's hard to imagine that Sussex deliberately chose to project themselves as a club in captain-less limbo. But if Wright is the man to whom they have offered the job but he is still 'considering his options', then perhaps Sussex's hands were tied.

He has 3 year on his contract and Sussex should tell Surrey to take run and jump. Wright was happy to sign a four year contract last winter and unless a relegation clause was in it there are no grounds for him to leave.

Nail on head, I think. Every decent agent writes such a clause in to every contract these days.

His benefit year winds up next month with a luncheon at the Grand on Nov 26. Certainly agree with Joe that any announcement before then might be a little insensitive.

Anyway, let's hope it doesn't happen and Sussex can induce him to stay with a captaincy/remuneration package that meets his ambitions. But the longer the announcement of a new captain is delayed, the more the speculation is bound to grow...

Hamilton-Brown didn't see a single contract through in his whole career.

The Captaincy silence is deafening.

Mark Robinson tells the Argus Steve Hollis last week that a new Sussex captain has been appointed, so why hasn't this news hit
the media channels?

Meanwhile, Mark Robinson tells Steve in 'The Argus' today that "he is massively motivated" to continue on and
"has signalled his intention to continue as Sussex coach". Reading between the lines this is a man under immense pressure to
hold on to his job.

This week could signify one of the most important decision-making periods for the Sussex CCC hierarchy in many a year. 

m.theargus.co.uk/sport/13802799.Robinson__massively_motivated__to_continue_as_Sussex_coach/