South Africa coach Mickey Arthur has ruled himself out of the running to replace Paul Terry as Hampshire manager.

Arthur met with Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove last month following Terry’s decision to retire after six years at the Rose Bowl, writes SIMON WALTER.

The 40-year-old’s contract with Cricket South Africa is due to expire in April, after back-to-back Test series against Australia.

Arthur has admitted speaking to several counties, with Surrey and Middlesex also believed to be interested.

But he has insisted that he has unfinished business with South Africa.

Arthur said: “I would seriously like to work in county cricket, but South Africa have offered me a new contract through to the 2011 World Cup and my current commitment is to them.

Granted permission “I haven’t won the World Cup or beaten Australia. They are things I would love to do.”

Hampshire were granted permission to speak to Sussex captain Chris Adams last month.

But the man Bransgrove knows as ‘Grizzly’ is not a popular choice with the Hampshire players who have clashed with him during the county’s hot-tempered derbies with their south-coast rivals in recent seasons.

Former England coach Duncan Fletcher is interested but is also unpopular in the Hampshire dressing room.

And Bransgrove made no secret of the lack of respect he had for the Zimbabwean when he chose to reveal secrets from the England set-up in his autobiography, Behind the Shades.

Meanwhile, caretaker-manager Giles White continues to go about his role very quietly and his stock is rising with every Hampshire win.