Naik, Freckingham and Burgess leave LCCC

Leicestershire County Cricket Club have announced that Jigar Naik, Ollie Freckingham and Michael Burgess have left the club after not being offered contracts for the 2017 season.

Naik was Leicestershire’s longest-serving player having made his first-class debut for the club in 2006. The off-spinner claimed 163 first-class wickets for Leicestershire including a career-best of 8-179 at Lancashire in 2015.

In a superb 2010 campaign, Naik finished top of the national bowling averages after claiming 35 first-class wickets at an average of 17.59. Naik’s best performance came at the Oval, where he took a then career-best 7-96 to bowl Surrey out in their second innings.

Naik then suffered a number of injuries in 2012 and 2013, with a dislocated shoulder ending a season that had already yielded 26 first-class wickets in the first ten County Championship matches and seen him receive his county cap.

The 32-year-old also scored useful runs for the club in four-day cricket, including 109 not out against Derbyshire in 2009.

All told, the spinner took 236 wickets for Leicestershire across all three formats, including six five-wicket hauls. Naik is also the club’s third leading wicket-taker for the club in its NatWest T20 Blast history after taking his tally to 41 this summer.

Freckingham has also been unfortunate to suffer with injuries during his time at Leicestershire CCC after a brilliant start to his career at the Fischer County Ground.

The paceman played in all but one of the club’s County Championship fixtures in 2013 and was the leading wicket-taker. He claimed 35 wickets at an average of 44 including nine wickets in the match at Northamptonshire.

Freckingham collected 65 wickets in 23 first-class appearances at an average of 37.93, including being the club’s leading wicket-taker in 2013.

The 27-year-old made two Royal London One-Day Cup appearances in 2016, taking two wickets as part of fine victories against Lancashire Lightning and Nottinghamshire Outlaws.

Young ‘keeper/batsman Burgess batted well alongside Aadil Ali in the Royal London One-Day Cup game against Gloucestershire in 2015 after signing a summer contract alongside studying at Loughborough University.

Burgess made 49 in a game that Leicestershire Foxes came back from a tricky position to almost beat the side that would go on to win the tournament.

The 22-year-old also scored a fine 98 on his Leicestershire first-class debut against Sri Lanka this summer but has found opportunities limited with the club’s strength in the wicket-keeping department.

Leicestershire CCC Chief Executive Wasim Khan MBE said: “Jigar and Ollie are both local lads who have been at the club a long time and contributed a lot to Leicestershire County Cricket Club over the years. Michael also put in some good performances around completing his studies at Loughborough University.

“It has been a very difficult decision to release the three players but there is a lot of competition for spinners, seamers and wicket-keepers at the club. We therefore feel that it is better for them to pursue opportunities at other counties. We thank the three players for their efforts and wish them every success in the future.”