Kadeer Ali made the England A tour of Malaysia in 2003

Gloucestershire trio Steven Snell, Kadeer Ali and Rob Woodman have left the club prior to their contracts ending in 2011.

These latest departures follow those of bowlers Steve Kirby and Gemaal Hussain, who are now both at Somerset.

Seamer Anthony Ireland has also left for Middlesex while William Porterfield has joined Warwickshire.

Chief executive Tom Richardson told BBC Gloucestershire:"We need to reduce the amount of money we're spending out."

He continued: "We live in the real world and we made a loss last year and we'll make a loss this year.

"I think we made the point that we and a number of other counties can no longer pay the top whack wages that we have been paying."

Wicketkeeper Snell, 27, joined Gloucestershire in 2005 and has spent a large part of his career competing with Steve Adshead and latterly Jonathan Batty for the gloves.

"Whilst Steve Snell was an important part of the 2010 line-up, we envisage he would have very few opportunities next season," Richardson told the club website.

At 27 and having represented England A a few years ago, I feel I have plenty more to offer in the game and I will be looking for a new county Kadeer Ali

"Knowing Steve wants to and deserves to be playing first-team cricket, we agreed that it would be in everyone's best interest if he were free to pursue his career at a new club."

Batsman Kadeer also arrived at Nevil Road in 2005 from Worcestershire and has experienced mixed fortunes for the club after showing much promise.

"At 27 and having represented England A a few years ago, I feel I have plenty more to offer in the game and I will be looking for a new county," he said.

Former Somerset-batsman Woodman, 24, was signed in 2008 but failed to establish himself at the County Ground and did not play a single first team match for Gloucestershire last season.

Richardson admitted the county have their eyes on a number of players but accepts they will have to rely on youth a lot more in the coming years.

"We've had five people in the last two years play for England Under-19s but we're not sanguin about that," added Richardson.

"But we've got to do better than that and maybe we get people in that are a bit older.

"Having a younger team now is the key to having the sort of side in two, three ,four year's time that can go on to the level that we want it to be."

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