Bolton batsman Haseeb Hameed has been appointed the new captain at Nottinghamshire.

The 26-year-old former Farnworth Social Circle star replaces Steven Mullaney, who stepped down at the end of the 2023 season, and will lead the Trent Bridge outfit in the County Championship and One-Day Cup.

The top-order batter previously served as vice-captain to Mullaney, who himself has links with Bolton after playing for Golborne in the former Bolton Association.

Now 26, Hameed joined Nottinghamshire ahead of the 2020 campaign after being released by Lancashire and has scored 3,414 runs in 64 appearances across all formats.

Particularly successful in red-ball cricket, he has scored 2,860 runs at 40.85 in 44 first-class outings, including 1,235 runs at 58.80 to help Nottinghamshire capture the Division Two title in 2022.

He said: “My first feelings having been offered the captaincy are a sense of immense pride and excitement.

“From the moment I arrived at Trent Bridge, I was made to feel welcome and encouraged to be myself and I hope that, under my captaincy, everyone can feel the same. I relish the opportunity to influence games, whether with the bat or through decisions on and off the field. My philosophy will be based on giving individuals the freedom to express themselves and play to their strengths. We saw that Division One cricket was a step up last year, but having had the taste for it, we can push on now. It is a strong, united dressing room with full belief that we can achieve great things over the next few years, and I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to help us do so.”

Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, Mick Newell, praised Hameed’s character, and added: “As club captain of Nottinghamshire, you’ve not only got to be a leader on the field, but embody the values of the club, and that’s something Haseeb does wholeheartedly.

“He has a great way about him; He possesses a deep desire to be the best he can be without compromising his awareness of, and empathy for, others. As a young man who has played a lot of cricket, he knits together the range of characters at the club. He can relate to players across the dressing room and he has got everyone’s respect.”