Lamb's concern follows reports that Shane Warne, the Australian leg-spinner, had been offered more than £150,000 by Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Sussex before deciding against playing county cricket. Waqar Younis, the Pakistan fast bowler, is known to be on a lucrative incentives contract with Glamorgan.

Jonathan Barnett, an agent, has been attempting to negotiate with prospective counties a salary for Chris Adams about £20,000 a year higher than any other England-qualified player.

Adams's transfer classification will be decided by the ECB on Nov 11 as a result of his release from Derbyshire.

Lamb said: ``Even allowing for the fact that agents do hype things up a bit and these offers are exaggerated a little in the media, we have an overriding responsibility not to pay the current crop of cricketers more than the game can afford.

``We do understand that it is important to pay the players fair levels of remuneration, which is why we have enhanced the pension arrangements and sit down every year to discuss the minimum wage.

``We have a responsibility to invest in the future of the sport from the development of players to the improvement of facilities and it would be irresponsible of us to overspend.

``High wages inevitably lead to a spiralling effect, and I know the Professional Cricketers' Association are concerned because they do not want the divide between the top cricketers and the lower paid to get too wide.''