The committee yesterday gave him a deadline of next Wednesday noon to inform them whether he wished to remain as captain. A letter from the committee makes it plain that, in the event of resignation, Cork will be compelled to stay with the county under somebody else's leadership for the remainder of a five-year contract signed soon after he became captain at the end of the 1997 season.

Cork responded: ``John Morris, Chris Adams and Dean Jones were all released in mid-contract and I find it astonishing that the committee appears to think that a new skipper will want a disgruntled ex-captain with a grievance playing under him.''

With wicketkeeper Karl Krikken allied with Cork and senior batsman Kim Barnett in a dispute which this week brought the resignation of chairman Vic Brownett, opening batsman Adrian Rollins is ``pencilled in'' to become Derbyshire's fourth captain in 19 months.