RISHTON have had to pull out of a shock deal to sign former England spinner Graeme Swann as professional for next season.

The Lancashire League side are keen to attract a big name to be their pro for 2015 as they celebrate their 150th anniversary.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Talks had taken place between the committee and Swann, who took 255 wickets in 60 Test matches for England, but the off-spinner would have had to miss a number of league games because of his television commitments next year.

“We spoke to him and he was keen to play,” said Rishton captain Shaun Hutchinson.

“But because of his commentary commitments on England games next summer we couldn’t make it happen. He was quite keen because his commitments with Notts are just for Twenty 20 matches now, but we couldn’t quite do the deal.

“He would have to miss 10 or 12 games, which is just too many for the salary he would want.”

Despite the setback the Blackburn Road club will continue to search for a high profile signing to celebrate their historic anniversary, and they will look to draw up another shortlist at a meeting next week.

“It’s the 150th anniversary of the club so we wanted to try and get a big name player this season,” said Hutchinson.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t do the logistics on his side for this one, but we will keep looking.

“It would have been a massive signing, but it wasn’t to be. It is great for us and for the Lancashire League that someone as big a name as Swann was interested though.

“We’ve got a committee meeting on Monday to discuss a few more names and see what we can do.”

A few of Rishton’s players had heard rumours about deals and were asking the captain, but Hutchinson said it was ‘very early in negotiations’.

Swann would have followed in the footsteps of some famous names had he signed for the club, and that was a proposition that interested him according to Hutchinson.

“He knows quite a few players who have played for Rishton over the years,” he said of Swann.

“We’ve had some big names as professionals over the years, Viv Richards and Allan Donald, and when we were talking he said it would have been an honour to be on that board alongside names like that.”