The struggling Shanghai Sharks basketball club received a much-needed boost yesterday when it was confirmed captain Liu Wei had chosen to stay with the team instead of transferring to Bayi.

"We have reached agreement on all the details and Liu Wei will continue to play for Shanghai next season in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)," Liu's agent, Sha Langfeng, said yesterday.

Liu was reportedly planning to leave Shanghai for Bayi due to a salary dispute.

The former captain of China's national team, who earned an annual salary of 650,000 yuan ($95,000), was expecting a better pay packet when NBA All-Star Yao Ming purchased the club in July.

However, the 29-year-old was only offered 350,000 yuan ($51,000) by Team Yao, the new managing group of the club.

While Sha declined to reveal the details of the new deal, Liu's yearly income is expected to be about 1.9 million yuan ($278,000).

Meanwhile, the club is happy to have re-signed its stalwart.

"We're glad to learn Liu Wei is staying. As the captain and point guard, he is the most reliable player in the team," said a club official, who didn't want to reveal his name.

Liu's decision comes as a relief to a team which has had an unsettling week.

Li Qiuping, the head coach for the past 14 years, was removed and the players didn't show up for a routine training session on Nov 10 and did not train for a few days.

Liu played with All-Star Yao for 10 years on the Sharks before the latter went to the NBA in 2002. The point guard suited up for the Sacramento Kings when they played against the Houston Rockets in the pre-season of 2004-05.

However, he was not offered a contract and has since been playing for the Sharks in the CBA.