Yorkshire sweat on status of British passport holder Phil Jaques (From Gazette & Herald)

Yorkshire sweat on status of British passport holder Phil Jaques

11:50am Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Sport By Graham Hardcastle

Phil Jaques is set to play for Yorkshire as a non-overseas player in 2012 and 2013 after retiring from state cricket in Australia.

The opening batsman, 32, has a UK passport due to being born to British parents, which means he can relinquish his overseas status pending clearance from the ECB.

Jaques will bring the curtain down on a 12-season domestic career in Australia in March.

But Yorkshire still have to gain permission to register him as non-overseas because he has already played county cricket for Northants as a non-overseas and then for Yorkshire and Worcestershire as an overseas.

“We’ll need agreement from the ECB to allow him to come as a non-overseas player,” confirmed White Rose director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon.

“As a British passport holder, you can come and work in England without a work permit. That’s not the problem. It’s the ECB regulations where we have to make sure all the boxes are ticked.

“We need clarification on whether they are happy with that. They may not allow it, but hopefully they will given the time span between statuses.”

Should Yorkshire get the green light, it will enable them to sign somebody else to fill their main overseas berth.

“We’ve got a few irons in the fire,” continued Moxon. “But, obviously, we can’t act on them until Phil’s been cleared.

“If we get Phil’s clearance, we probably would sign somebody else.”

The Australian domestic season is due to finish on March 20 – but, if the New South Wales Blues fail to make the Sheffield Shield final, Jaques should make his last state appearance against Victoria at Melbourne on March 8.

However, the left-hander will not be available for Yorkshire’s County Championship opener against Kent at Headingley on April 5 because he is getting married nine days later.

He will also miss the three-day friendly against Leeds/Bradford MCCU, but will be available to face Essex on April 19.

Jaques said: “At the end of the season I will be retiring from first-class cricket in Australia to take up a contract with Yorkshire as a local player on my British passport.

“I have made this decision with my family in mind, and I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my career.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed playing for New South Wales and Australia. I have always considered it a privilege.”

Added Jaques: “I have also made plenty of great friends along the way. I hope to remain involved with Cricket NSW in some capacity in the future.

“Eleven years playing for NSW have helped me to grow as a player and person, and I appreciate all of their support.

“I walk away with no regrets knowing that I have given 100 percent every time I have walked onto the ground.

“I will continue to do this until the end of the season.”

Jaques, who has 11 Test caps for Australia, has recently finished playing for the Hobart Hurricanes in the inaugural Twenty20 Big Bash League.