DARREN Gough, fighting to get fit again after serious knee problems, will be roaring in with Yorkshire for the first three months of the new season.

And if he stays fully fit during that time, he will remain with the club under the terms of a new contract which has already been ironed out. The length of the contract, however, has not been disclosed.

Gough was in bullish mood at a press conference at Headingley yesterday when it was announced that agreement had been reached on a new contract.

"There has been a lot of rubbish talked about whether I would play for Yorkshire again but everything has been all right since last October when it was agreed I would sign a new contract if I proved to be fit enough," he said.

"I am not charging in at 100 miles an hour yet but I am getting there and the club has stood by me.

"Yorkshire have been very loyal and I have been put under no pressure. I am now bowling every day of the week and feel as fit as I have been for a long time."

Gough also made it clear that he was keen to regain his England place but he stressed that he would not be trying to rush back.

Gough said he believed he was still England's best bowler. "Several of England's top players told me that had I been playing when we narrowly lost to Australia in the World Cup the game would not have got that far."

He added that new Yorkshire captain Anthony McGrath had telephoned him as soon as he had been appointed to make sure he was going to remain a Yorkshire player and he was able to assure him that he was.

It was also announced yesterday that Darren Lehmann has been chosen for Australia's forthcoming tour of the West Indies and will not be playing for Yorkshire this season.

Yorkshire chief executive Colin Graves said that it was not felt that they needed to replace Lehmann and they would stick with their present players unless something happened to change the situation.

This means that Yorkshire will start out with Matthew Elliott as their only overseas players, despite being allowed two for the first time.

Updated: 11:03 Tuesday, March 18, 2003