Justin Langer will captain Somerset for the whole of the upcoming season after parting company with his Indian Premier League side.

The former Australia Test opener was contracted to appear for the Rajasthan Royals in the tournament, which has been moved to South Africa.

That would have prevented him from playing in several of Somerset's early season matches, but now Langer has negotiated his release he will lead the county in their Division One opener against Warwickshire at Taunton a week tomorrow.

He said: "At the end of last season, there was some conjecture about how the IPL would affect the continuity of my season with Somerset and, with the re-scheduling of the IPL in date and venue, the point was a valid one.

"From the club's point of view, I am pleased to report the Rajasthan Royals and I have mutually agreed to part ways.

"I am excited about this and know my 100 per cent commitment to the summer will be significant."

The Royals spent heavily in pre-season and had eight overseas players. An IPL team can only field four at any one time.

Langer led Somerset to the top of the County Championship last season but a failure to win in the final two months of the campaign saw them slip to fourth.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the theme of this season is to improve on what we achieved last season and continually look for ways to get better," he said.

"The development has been excellent over the last two years and there isn't a single reason why we won't continue to follow an upward trend of improved performance over the next six months.

"One of the other goals of the club is to aid the progress of some of our younger players.

"It has been disappointing as club captain not to have had some of our players being involved in the England Lions or Test team set-up over the last few years.

"The upside of our younger stars firing on and off the field is that we will see a cultural shift towards excellence now and into the future.

"The experience of our senior players means that we have a natural mentoring program within the group.

"As a young player, I would have killed to have had played with the experience of the squad we have here at Somerset.

"We have a big squad of talented players, which should be an advantage. Obviously, the down side of such a large group is that we can't fit 20-odd players into the starting 11, but as long as we are all heading in the same direction together, then the rewards will be enjoyed jointly."

Langer's preparation for the new season has been more low key than usual.

"Having retired from Australian domestic cricket last year it was the first time in nearly 20 years I didn't play first-class cricket at home," he said. "While I missed playing full-time, the break has reignited my desire to have a big impact on this county season.

Now safely ensconced in the picturesque village of Hatch Beauchamp, Langer feels he is in the right place.

"The crisp, clear air and green surroundings of the South West, married with the unbelievable hospitality of the cricket club and friendliness of the people, has made Somerset every bit our second home," he said.