AUSTRALIAN Darren Lehmann will be Yorkshire's new captain next season when they set out to defend their title as county champions.

He will do the job for at least two years - and almost certainly longer if he signs a new contract when his current one expires at the end of the 1993 season.

Although the free-scoring left-hander was the only name considered by the cricket committee yesterday to take over from David Byas, who has retired, his appointment will not become official until it has been ratified by the full committee on November 28.

Yorkshire are only insisting on playing it by the book, however, and to all intents and purposes Lehmann has already secured the post.

His appointment strengthens still further the influence which Australians now have on Yorkshire cricket. Lehmann will work closely with fellow countryman Wayne Clark, who joined Yorkshire as first team coach at the start of last season and played a big part in them going on to win the Championship.

With senior players like Michael Vaughan, Darren Gough and Craig White on almost permanent duty with England these days, Yorkshire had no other real options open to them and they must be thankful that Lehmann would appear to be available throughout the summer months now that he does not seem to figure in Australia's Test plans.

Lehmann will be 33 when his contract with Yorkshire expires and there is every reason to believe they will try to keep him for at least another two years after that.

One of the most important jobs for Lehmann and Clark will be to seek out a Yorkshire player who they feel they could groom for the captaincy a few years down the line.

Ideally, Yorkshire would like a future captain to be an excellent player yet not tied to a central contract and one name which springs to mind is Bradford-born Anthony McGrath.

Although still only 26, McGrath for a variety of reasons has not turned Test potential into an actual England place but he remains one of the most natually gifted batsmen on Yorkshire's books and he would be just about the right age to become Lehmann's successor.

There are no plans in existence to look specifically at McGrath, however, but if he turns out to be a key player next season and impresses the Aussie duo with his maturity then he must find himself in with a chance.

Updated: 12:10 Friday, November 09, 2001