D'Arcy Short turns down Durham offer as county move looms

The Australian was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the T20 Blast but has opted to move elsewhere for the 2020 campaign

Australia's D'Arcy Short has rejected an offer to return to Durham for the 2020 T20 Blast.

The 29-year-old was offered a two-year deal but has turned it down following a series of "lucrative" proposals from rival counties, which the Riverside club were unable to match.

Short was the fourth-highest run-scorer in last season's Blast, hitting 483 runs during the campaign, while he also chipped in with 13 wickets with the ball. His performances helped him climb to No.13 in the T20 Player Index.

Director of cricket Marcus North said: "We did everything we could as a club to entice D’Arcy back to Emirates Riverside for the next two years, but unfortunately we were unable to match the offers he received across the country. 

"D’Arcy is a high-quality T20 player and a great guy, we would like to thank him for his contribution during the season and wish him all the best for the future. We are in the process of recruiting a replacement for next season Blast and hope to make an announcement shortly."

Chief executive Tim Bostock added: "We were obviously keen to bring D’Arcy back to Durham and made him a very competitive offer. 

"As expected, he was very much in demand and we must weigh up the financial aspects of any deal to ensure the club’s decisions make commercial sense."