29-year-old all-rounder Tom Smith will miss the rest of the 2015 season due to a back injury.
Having played his 99th first-class game in April against Derbyshire, the Lancashire captain will not be able to bring up his century of appearances until 2016.
He managed a handful of Second XI appearances at the end of May, but will undergo an operation during the close season in an attempt to regain full fitness.
The Liverpool-born Smith was handed the club captaincy in February, and having been named the county’s player of the year in 2014, looked set for an impressive year.
.@Tcp24 requires an operation to resolve a back injury and will miss the rest of the season – http://t.co/JuW9zz6BSU pic.twitter.com/TThgkMv7lw
— Lancashire CCC (@LancsCCC) July 6, 2015
His batting average is similar in all three formats – 29.13 in first-class cricket, 34.20 in the List A game and 28.22 in Twenty20s – and he has taken 354 wickets in the professional game since the start of his career in 2005.
Cricket Director and Head Coach Ashley Giles said: “This is a huge blow for Tom and for the Club. As Club Captain, Tom remains a very important part of the team and our season, and we look forward to him being able to start the journey to play after the operation.”
Smith added: “It is frustrating that I won’t be able to play again this season, but I will be in good hands with the medical staff at the Club. I would like to thank everybody at the Club for their support and I would like to wish the lads all the best for the rest of the season.”
The Red Rose’s vice-captain, Steven Croft, will continue to skipper the side in all formats until the end of the season.
Currently top of Division Two of the LV County Championship, Croft will have a tough ask on his hands between now and the end of the season; as well as their promotion push, Lancashire are currently 4th in their NatWest T20 Blast group, and will be looking for a strong performance in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
