Robin Smith has confirmed that he will not be captaining Hampshire for a sixth season.

Hampshire legend Smith, pictured above, had been put forward as a possible candidate for the job following Shane Warne's year-long ban, despite standing down after five years as skipper at the end of last season.

If he was to do an about-turn and cover for Warne during the Aussie star's ban it would relieve former teammate Paul Terry, Hampshire's new first team manager, of a major dilemma in his first month back at the club.

But Smith, 39, insists his captaincy days are behind him.

He said: "I thoroughly enjoyed my time as captain but my feelings are the same as they were last year, I've got no aspirations to take it on.

"We need a change in direction and it's a shame that Shane won't be with us this summer because he would have been ideal.

"But I would not be the right man. The club haven't asked me if I would have another year as captain and that's because they already know that I want to concentrate on my cricket and on scoring as many runs as I can.

"I want to be a little more selfish and do as well as I can."

Smith also has his testimonial to keep him occupied this year, and by ruling himself out of the running he has narrowed the list of probable candidates to three.

New overseas signing Simon Katich does not want the captaincy so current vice-captain Will Kendall and former deputy Shaun Udal remain the favourites.

John Crawley's England commitments will make it difficult for him to take the job on but he could yet be handed an Essex-like club captain role, leaving one of either Kendall or Udal as team captain.

Terry may have someone else in mind and the captaincy could yet be given to the new overseas signing, although that is unlikely.