Paul Franks has signed a new contract that commits him to Nottinghamshire until the end of the 2013 season.

By the end of his new deal, the Mansfield-born all-rounder will have represented his native county for 18 seasons.

“I set myself the challenge early on in my career to stay with Nottinghamshire until I retire and that is still my ambition,” said Franks who made his first class debut in 1996.

“My role has changed since then and now I have a responsibility to try and pass knowledge on to younger players but my desire to make a contribution to a successful side remains the same.”

An England ODI appearance in 2000 and County Championship wins in 2005 and 2010 have punctuated Franks’s career during which he has maintained a first class batting average of 27.78 and taken 496 wickets at 32.58.

“Our one day form was good last season but we felt that we underachieved in four-day cricket and we need to address that,” he said.

“We have lost three senior players in Ali Brown, Mark Wagh and Charlie Shreck but Michael Lumb will improve our side and there is more to come from within the squad as well and I include myself in that.

“I was a bit disappointed with my championship form at times last season as I felt that there games where I bowled well without reward and others where I couldn’t find the form of 2010.

“We were dynamic in the 20-over competition and solid in the 40-over competition but we’ve had a chance to reflect on the season and we know where improvements can be made.”

Franks, a true clubman who has continued to make occasional appearances for Farnsfield CC throughout his professional career, has taken pride in Nottinghamshire’s success in bidding to host Ashes Tests at Trent Bridge in 2013 and 2015.

“The work that goes on behind the scenes certainly doesn’t go unnoticed by the players and bidding to host two Ashes Tests in successive series is a huge achievement,” he said.

“Nottinghamshire is a high-performing club and that applies to our efforts to be competitive in all competitions and the work that goes into hosting international matches and developing Trent Bridge into the ground it is today.

“I am proud to play for Nottinghamshire and I hope to continue to play my part for a good number of years.”