JENNINGS SET TO JOIN COUGHLIN AT NOTTS
DURHAM OPENER READY TO MOVE ON IN LATEST BLOW TO COUNTY
Durham batsman Keaton Jennings looks set to follow all-rounder Paul Coughlin and quit the club for Nottinghamshire.
England opener Jennings has a get-out clause in his contract and reports yesterday said he will become the latest high-profile departure from the county.
The 25-year-old, whose form for Durham last season earned him an England call-up, is understood to be able to leave the club for a County Championship First Division side.
Nottinghamshire are on the verge of clinching promotion, and announced on Tuesday that they had signed Sunderland-born Coughlin on a three-year deal.
That prompted a statement from Durham chairman Sir Ian Botham who called on the ECB to introduce a transfer system to compensate counties who produce young talent through their academies.
He said: “They need to introduce a transfer or similar system of compensation, to remove the potential for conflict of interest by preventing serving directors of cricket acting as selectors and to better regulate the behaviour of agents.”
That was perceived to be a dig at Notts director of cricket Mick Newell, who is also an England selector.
Jennings is now set to join Notts, and he goes with the chairman’s blessing, Botham saying that the South Africa-born star has acted with dignity throughout dealing about his departure.
Jennings and Coughlin had been earmarked by Durham as part of their succession-planning for 41-year-old skipper Paul Collingwood, with both players haaving led the team in limited overs competitions in the last couple of years.
Their exit follows hard on the heels of Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick quitting the club last year after the ECB relegated Durham to the Second Division after a financial bail-out, docked them 48 points and imposed further financial and points penalties.