Barnett, 38, has two years of his contract to run but asked chairman Vic Brownett whether they would be willing to release him.

But a statement, released by the club, read: "The cricket committee would not agree to release him should he simply wish to sign a purely playing contract at another county."

The county is willing, however, to allow Barnet to leave to take up a coaching position.

"I think it is pretty obvious that if I left, other counties would want me to play. I feel like I'm playing the best cricket of my career. I'm not looking for clarification because I know what was said," he said.

Barnett captained Derbyshire from 1983 to 1995 and has made a county record 35 centuries and 23, 854 runs for them.

He was the only batsman to pass 1,000 first-class runs for the county last summer and Gloucestershire and Yorkshire have expressed an interest in him.

The club has also been hit by Dominic Cork's threat to resign as skipper because, he claims, his authority is being undermined.