Crawley supplants Warne as Hampshire captain

John Crawley has been appointed the captain of Hampshire, the second time the England batsman has led a team in the County Championship.

The Australian leg spinner Shane Warne was due to captain the side on his return to the county but he was ruled out following his 12-month ban after testing positive for a banned diuretic before the start of the World Cup in South Africa.

Crawley, who captained Lancashire for two years until his acrimonious departure at the end of the 2001 season, replaces the former England batsman Robin Smith, who retired from the post at the end of last season after five years in the job.

He will be able to call on the services of two overseas signings, the Pakistan all-rounder Wasim Akram and Australia's Simon Katich, while Smith is still available as a player.

Hampshire's team manager, Paul Terry, explained that no vice-captain had been appointed and one would be selected on a game-by-game basis should Crawley be called up by England again this summer. "We've a number of experienced players within the squad that could fulfil the role, should it be required," Terry said. Crawley will lead the team for the first time today in their opening pre-season friendly against Somerset at the Rose Bowl.

Elsewhere, Ian Botham has returned to his old county, Somerset, as advisor to the club's new chairman Giles Clarke. The former England all-rounder spent 15 years at Taunton, though he left acrimoniously in 1985 in support of the sacked West Indians Viv Richards and Joel Garner.