Trio To Depart Leicestershire At End Of Season

Leicestershire CCC can today (22 June) announce trio Colin Ackermann, Callum Parkinson and Chris Wright are to depart the Club at the end of the 2023 season.

All three players were offered new terms but have informed the Club of their intention to move on upon the expiry of their contracts.

T20 captain Ackermann joined the Foxes in 2017, scoring just shy of 7,000 runs in his seven seasons to date. They include a career-best 277 not out at Hove in 2022, and 1,962 in T20 cricket “ the most of any player in Leicestershire’s history.

The Netherlands international has taken 100 wickets for the Club, famously breaking the world record for best men’s T20 bowling figures when claiming 7/18 against the Birmingham Bears at Grace Road in 2019.

Left-arm spinner Parkinson made the switch across the East Midlands from Derbyshire as a teenager ahead of the 2017 season. He has taken 234 wickets for the Foxes, claiming his 100^th victim in T20 cricket during the win over Durham at Uptonsteel County Ground earlier this month.

The 26-year-old most impressed in red-ball cricket during 2021, claiming 50 wickets at 29.04 “ the highest tally of any English spinner that summer.

Experienced seamer Wright arrived from Warwickshire ahead of the 2019 campaign, registering 181 wickets in Leicestershire colours across all formats, with 159 of those arising in first-class cricket.

The 37-year-old recorded career-best figures of 7/53 during the Foxes’ Championship visit to Gloucestershire in 2021, while he also took his List A career-best of 6/35 against Notts Outlaws in the 2022 Royal London Cup.

Speaking about the decisions, Director of Cricket Claude Henderson said: “Whilst we are disappointed to be losing Colin, Callum and Chris, we are truly grateful for their incredible service to Leicestershire.

“All three remain 100% committed to the Club until the end of the season and will play key parts in our ambitions of achieving success in the County Championship and One Day Cup.

“Despite our desire to retain their services, we acknowledge that changes to the playing squad is part and parcel of professional sport and supporters can rest assured that work has been going on behind the scenes to assemble a squad capable of challenging in all formats.

“Our focus is firmly on completing the necessary recruitment to complement our existing, exciting young talent, and we will announce further details in the near future.”