WORCESTERSHIRE CCC’s Riki Wessels has departed New Road after being released by the club to “pursue other opportunities”.

A club statement read: “WCCC would like to thank Riki for his contribution to the Club since he joined, in particular in helping the Club become runners up in the Vitality Blast in 2019, and wish him the very best for the future.”

The batsman’s contract, which was for all forms of cricket, was due to expire at the end of the current 2021 season.

Paul Pridgeon, Chairman of the Cricket Steering Group commented: “Given that we as a Club feel we need to introduce more opportunities for our young batsmen, we have agreed with Riki Wessels to release him from his contract so he can pursue other opportunities.

“Riki has done an excellent job for us particularly in T20 cricket and we wish him well going forward with his career.”

Wessels said: “I’d like to thank the Club and supporters for my time at Worcestershire which I have really enjoyed.

“With the Club going in a different direction, it is the right time for me to move on but I am very much keen to continue playing in the coming years.”

The batsman, who can also keep wicket, joined the club back in the winter of 2018 from Nottinghamshire, where he had spent seven seasons before being released form his contract at Trent Bridge in order to move to New Road.

Attention now turns to where the South-African will play his cricket next.