Gale, Root and Ashraf commit future to Yorkshire

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Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale has signed an extension to his existing contract that will see him play for Yorkshire until at least the end of the 2014 season. The 27-year-old left-hander enjoyed his most productive season with the bat in 2010, but was rocked by a broken arm that saw him miss the business end of the summer and meant he watched his side relegated from Division One of the LV= County Championship from the sidelines.

Andrew Gale said: “I see this new contract as a continuation of my Yorkshire career. I love playing for Yorkshire and I’ve got a hell of a lot of pride in what I do. I love captaining the Club and hope that can continue and I can start to lead Yorkshire to success over the next two, three and five years.”

Gale is joined in pledging his future to the White Rose County by many of the Club’s young talent, something that he is delighted by: “It’s good news for the Club and good news for the players as well. The youngsters like Root, Rafiq and Ballance did well when they came in last year and I think by giving them long-term contracts it gives them security and confidence that the Club’s backing them. Although it was a tough 2011 summer the Club is backing them all the way and like I’ve said from the outset, if we can keep this group of young players together for a long period of time we can be successful.“

Joe Root has signed a new deal that will see him remain a Yorkshire player until the end of the 2014 season. Root (20) enjoyed a productive first full season in Yorkshire colours with 937 first-class runs at 36.03. His outstanding potential was recognised by an England Lions call-up which he celebrated with a fluent 66 at Scarborough, the same ground he made his maiden first-class century on – a very classy 160 against Sussex in mid-August.

Moin Ashraf (19) has signed a deal (updated Wednesday) that will keep him at Yorkshire until the end of 2013. A pace bowler with serious promise, he has been included in the ECB’s Potential England Performance Programme squad as a player with the potential to play for England in future years.

In September the Club announced that Azeem Rafiq (20) and Gary Ballance (21) had signed two year extensions to their contracts. Rafiq is committed to the Club until the end of 2013 and Ballance to 2014.

Alex Lees has penned his first professional contract to the end of 2013 and James Wainman’s first professional deal takes him through to at least the end of 2012.

In addition, Dan Hodgson, Callum Geldart and Alex Lilley have signed summer contracts for 2012.