Hampshire Allowed to Talk to Jones

The England fast bowler Simon Jones could soon be on the move after Glamorgan gave Hampshire permission to speak to him. Glamorgan would like to keep the 28-year-old Jones but may struggle to pick up the financial burden when his central contract expires at the end of the season.

It is unlikely the England and Wales Cricket Board will offer Jones another deal until he is back in the international fold. The reverse-swing specialist has not played for England since the fourth Ashes Test in 2005 after suffering knee and calf injuries, which have also limited him to a handful of county appearances over the past two years.

Glamorgan's chairman Paul Russell was unable to confirm whether Hampshire had already been in touch with the player. "I can confirm that Hampshire have been given permission to speak to Simon, but am unaware of any approach," he told BBC Wales. "It is enormously important to keep Simon at Glamorgan but what we cannot do is put the county at financial risk.

"The major objective for Simon is to get back into the England set-up so that he is playing in the 2009 Ashes series. We can afford Simon, we are pulling ourselves out of financial difficulties, but it is a question of us getting value for money."

With Glamorgan's Sophia Gardens due to host one of five Ashes matches in the 2009 series, Russell is keen to have Glamorgan represented in the England side. "He is a valuable icon of the county and we have put it to Simon that we think it would be best for his development if he stays at Glamorgan," added Russell. "Working with our manager Matthew Maynard would help him get back to being one of the best bowlers in the world."