LONDON, Nov 14: English county champions Yorkshire are planning another meeting with their unsettled England fast bowler Darren Gough as they bid to keep him at Headingley.

Chief executive Chris Hassall said Tuesday: “I’m expecting to meet up with him early next week — he’s gone away for a few days to think about things.

“We’ve not given him a deadline or anything like that, but we do want to sort things out as soon as possible,” said Hassell who has not officially offered Gough a contract extension but has insisted he remains part of Yorkshire’s plans.

“There’s no panic or anything like that except that while it remains unresolved, the rumblings continue and the whole thing gets dragged on and on,” Hassell added.

The 31-year-old Gough has said he is thinking about leaving the county because of what he sees as an internal whispering campaign designed to force him to quit Headingley.

Many Yorkshire members are unhappy that Gough, who has an England central contract, played just two championship matches in the title winning campaign, even though the county had granted him a tax free benefit last season.

Gough, who made himself unavailable for England’s tour of India because he said he needed a break, told the News of the World here Sunday: “I’ve never wavered from the desire that I want to end my playing days at Yorkshire — but there’s only so much I can take. It’s almost unbearable.

“It’s been clear this year that certain members of the committee don’t want me around at any price.”

Gough’s decision to move house to Buckinghamshire, southern England, angered many Yorkshire traditionalists who wondered why a base in the northern county was no longer good enough.

He has now been linked with a number of sides closer to his new home with Essex among the favourites to sign him if he does quit Yorkshire.

Yorkshire and England great Geoff Boycott defended Gough. “Players had no say in central contracts, it was the 18 counties that voted for them,” the former opening batsman explained.

“I believe Darren should be playing for Yorkshire and that he is highly thought of and loved by the majority.”—AFP