Lees handed Yorkshire captaincy

It follows Andrew Gale’s decision to step down as Yorkshire’s List A and T20 captain

The 31-year-old Gale, who has missed the last three Royal London One-Day Cup matches because of a wrist injury, will continue as First-class captain of the County Champions and will be available for all forms of cricket as a batsman.

Yorkshire, in the short-term, have handed the limited overs captaincy to Lees before deciding on a long-term successor.

Former Bradshaw, Illingworth and Lightcliffe opening batsman Lees, who has been hitting top form in recent weeks, has experience of leading the white rose side.

Gale said: “After nearly six seasons of being club captain across all formats, I now feel the time is right to step down as List A and T20 captain and solely concentrate on captaining the Championship team.

“I feel it’s beneficial for a fresh voice and new ideas in the shorter format of the game and with the current demands of the schedule I need to manage my body in preparation for Championship cricket.

“I still hope to play a large part in the club’s future success with the bat in the shorter format.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute in leading the team,. I would like to wish Alex Lees all the best in the short-term and whoever the club appoint in the long-term.”

Director of cricket Martyn Moxon added: “Andrew has developed into an outstanding captain of Yorkshire. He leads from the front and is a very passionate and proud leader.

“To relinquish the captaincy of our one-day teams, therefore, has been a very difficult decision for him to make.”

“However, the physical demands of the shorter format of cricket eventually take its toll and consequently affect the energy you require to lead the team in all formats.

“Andrew will continue to captain the side in the LV= County Championship and I believe this decision will enable him to fulfil this role for many years to come.”