Kent's Kolpak all-rounder Ryan McLaren is being courted by the South African Cricket Board in a bid to lure him back into the international fold.

The 25-year-old from Kimberley has not been approached directly by his home board, but confirmed on Friday that his agent had received calls from South Africa coach Mickey Arthur.

McLaren is on the brink of signing a new long-term deal to keep him at St Lawrence on improved terms but has yet to see any concrete offers from South Africa.

He explained: "I haven't personally been approached by Cricket South Africa and no one has called me on the phone, that has all been hearsay and media speculation, but I know my agent has been contacted.

"My stance as at the moment is that I'm totally committed to Kent and there's a chance of me signing a contract extension in the next few days.

"In a way it is welcoming in a sense that it means I am playing well on the field for Kent for South Africa to show some interest, but selection policy isn't in my hands.

"As far as discussing the approach is concerned no one has spoken to me and I can't decide on anything until such time they phone me up or sit around a table with me to make a decision from there.

"This supposed interest from South Africa has only come to light in the last week-and-a-half, but the new contract offer from Kent has been in the pipeline for some good time, it was first discussed weeks ago and is in place, it's agreed, and we intend on taking it further as I'm looking to settle my future with Kent.

"As far as the South African approach is concerned, that is something we'll decide upon once it materialises in black and white. Only then can I sit and evaluate what they have to offer. Until then, I'm in Kent's hands.

"This has all happened because South Africa did not perform as well as they will have wanted in this last one-day series and in realising this is a phase their international team are going through right now while younger, newer faces come through."

In an interview with cricinfo, Arthur confirmed his interest in saying: "I have had discussions over the phone with Ryan McLaren's agent. But Ryan is on an unbelievable deal with Kent, so we will need something extra. But he would provide the all-round depth we need, he's a top-class player and he's had another big season with Kent."

However, Kent's director of coaching Graham Ford is adamant that McLaren, a fulcrum of Kent's success in the last three years, will be going no where.

He said: "Ryan signed an affidavit when he went through the process of signing as a Kolpak committing himself to English cricket and saying he wouldn't be playing for South Africa.

"He also has a two-year contract in place with Kent means that if he were to be released to play for South Africa I would imagine some dealings would have to take place at higher levels than mine.

"At this point he's permanently contracted to us and there has been no official approach to us about Ryan's availability.

"In his mind he is very committed to English cricket, that's where he sees his future lying and I don't see how he can go and play for South Africa under the documents he has signed which show a real intent to make his cricketing future here in the UK.

The only way it might happen is if the ECB and Cricket South Africa got together on this and maybe spoke of compensation, but I can't see that happening either."