Smith: I didn't trust regime at Kent

The 27-year-old is reluctant to talk about the episode that preceded his fractious departure from Kent for fear of "inflaming" an already heated situation.

But he admits that he had become disillusioned with the leadership of the club and had little option but to seek new pastures.

"I've had many happy seasons at Kent and I will miss many friends on both sides of the boundary," he said.

"But there was a pull as well as a push. Though I am sorry to part with Kent, I am very excited about moving to Middlesex."

The trouble dates back to the publication of Smith's book about the 2003 season, On And Off The Field, the year when he made his England debut after a run of five centuries in six first-class innings.

Kent captain David Fulton was so incensed about some passages in the book, specifically about a serious eye injury he suffered last year, that he consulted a solicitor.

"I was disappointed that Ed had not run the relevant passage pass me, particularly where he implied that I was a bit reckless and 'gung ho' in my practice sessions," Fulton said last week.

Tension rose further when Smith deputised as captain for the injured Fulton in a match against Worcestershire last summer and Symonds and Key refused to obey instructions about fielding positions.

The players were upset about Smith allegedly having a clause about being the next captain of Kent written into his playing contract, which they had condemned as a "Toff conspiracy".

The county described this as " nonsense" and insisted that no such clause existed.

The animosity reached a peak in the Twenty20 Cup, for which Symonds had been appointed captain, when the Australian all-rounder left Smith out of the team. The ensuing problems led Mike Denness, the chairman of cricket, to resign, describing the behaviour of the two players who had failed to support Smith as "despicable".

He insisted that it was the club's handling of the affair, rather than any personal differences, that precipitated his decision to leave Kent. "The idea that I would leave Kent, the team I've always supported and the place I was born, because of an argument with an overseas pro is not credible," Smith said.

"Much more of a factor is a series of decisions by Kent, which sadly left me with diminished trust in the leadership of the club."

A resurgent Middlesex team was an obvious destination for Smith.

"They are a good side that could be better," he said. "They have a lot of young lads who have grown up together. The fact that they play in London was also a factor, because of the writing side and because I love London."

He brings to Middlesex a record from the past three seasons of 3,854 Championship runs at an average of 50.71, including 1,269 in 2004 at an average of 50.76.

The cerebral Smith will now take a month or two off from cricket to pursue his second career of writing and broadcasting. He is currently reviewing the autobiographies of Nasser Hussain and Bob Dylan for the Sunday Telegraph and the Spectator magazine.

And in between hunting for a new house in London, he has also agreed to host a series on Radio 3 interviewing classical musicians.