England recruit world No1 Scot

World champion Peter Nicol today switched his allegiance from Scotland to England to take advantage of the Lottery-funded World Class Performance Programme run by the Squash Rackets Association.

The decision by the 27-year-old world No 1, who won the men's gold at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was given an MBE the following year, has caused a storm.

He will not be able to represent England until 2002 but Nicol said today: "It is becoming increasingly difficult to compete on the world stage.

"By moving to England, and being a nominated player within the SRA's World Class Performance Programme, I hope to maintain the position I have worked so hard to secure over a number of years."