Star batsman Jacques Rudolph has left Yorkshire.

The 29-year-old South African batsman has had his request to be released from the final year of his contract accepted by the Headingley board of directors.

His exit was confirmed today on a bitter-sweet day for the White Rose county, who celebrated the inclusion of five of their players in either the main Ashes squad or the shadow ECB Performance Programme party to travel to Australia this winter.

All-rounder Tim Bresnan was one of the 16 names selected for the Test tour but seamer Ajmal Shahzad, a former Bradford Grammar and Woodhouse Grove pupil, had to settle for a spot with the Performance Programme. He will be joined by Andrew Gale, Adam Lyth and Jonny Bairstow.

Bradford’s Adil Rashid will use the first part of the winter to take a complete break from cricket.

A Yorkshire statement today explained that Rudolph and his wife, Elna, are ready to start a family in South Africa.

“Whilst Jacques has thoroughly enjoyed his time with Yorkshire, he and his wife have found it difficult adjusting to life in England,” it said.

“Jacques has spent each winter with his family in South Africa. And, whilst his wife moved to Leeds in an attempt to find suitable employment as a doctor, this has not worked out as they would have liked.

“As such, they formally requested to be released from the final year of Jacques’ contract. The board of directors have granted this wish.”

In a published letter to Stewart Regan, who also completed his last day as the club’s chief executive yesterday, Rudolph spoke of his “love and passion” for Yorkshire.

But he also said: “My love for cricket is unquestionable. However, it will always come second to the needs of my family.”

Having scored a total of 8,629 runs in four seasons for the county, he could now force his way back into the international arena after relinquishing his Kolpak status.

Meanwhile, Shahzad’s exclusion from the main Ashes party was also a much talked about subject.

But it was revealed that he will travel to Australia with the full squad on October 29 to act as cover ahead of the first Test in Brisbane on November 25.

England Ashes Test squad: AJ Strauss (captain), AN Cook, JM Anderson, IR Bell, TT Bresnan, SCJ Broad, PD Collingwood, SM Davies (wkt), ST Finn, EJG Morgan, MS Panesar, KP Pietersen, MJ Prior (wkt), GP Swann, CT Tremlett, IJL Trott.

England Performance Programme squad: Jimmy Adams (Hampshire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Danny Briggs (Hampshire), Michael Carberry (Hampshire), Maurice Chambers (Essex), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Andrew Gale (Yorkshire), James Hildreth (Somerset), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Adam Lyth (Yorkshire), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Ajmal Shahzad (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), James Taylor (Leicestershire), James Tredwell (Kent), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).