Gary Ballance, the Zimbabwe-born England international, has signed a two-year contract to play domestic and international cricket in Zimbabwe. Ballance had been at the center of a controversy last year when he admitted to having used racist language against teammate Azim Rafiq in Yorkshire and had subsequently apologised for his behaviour.
On 8 December, Yorkshire had put out a statement saying that Ballance had requested to be released from his contract.
"The Yorkshire County Cricket Club has agreed to a request from Gary Ballance to end his contract with the Club.
“The left-handed batsman and England international requested the release following a challenging period on the sidelines, including the challenges he has faced to his mental health. The Club has supported the player extensively during this period,” said the statement.