Derbyshire have invited Dominic Cork to continue as captain next season.

Cork has led the county since 1998 although his appearances have been limited since he was awarded a central contract with England this summer.

But the England all-rounder has yet to give the county an answer which will only increase speculation about his future at Derby.

Discussions are due to take place about extending his contract, which runs until September 2002 but he has already been linked with other counties in recent weeks.

Cork is unhappy at what he believes is a lack of support from within the club for his benefit and the fact that he has not made an instant decision about the captaincy will only add to the uncertainty.

Derbyshire need an answer quickly so they can start planning for next season and chief executive John Smedley said: "The offer was made at a meeting this week. Dominic didn't say yes and didn't say no, he just asked for time to think it over."

During his spell as captain, Cork has taken Derbyshire to the final of the NatWest Trophy in 1998 when they lost to Lancashire and led the county to a place in Division One of the championship the following season.

Derbyshire were relegated last year when Cork's recall to the England team limited him to 10 championship games and this season, he has been available for only a handful of matches.

Cork is currently out of action with a hamstring tear and missed last week's victory over Durham which was Derbyshire's first in the championship for nearly a year.

© CricInfo