Ashes squad creates county 'nightmare'

The selection of Adam Voges and Peter Siddle in the Test squads for Australia's winter tours has left English county sides Middlesex and Lancashire without a marquee overseas player just weeks out from the start of their season.

But their saviour may well lie in the form of another Aussie, allrounder James Faulkner, with National Selector Rod Marsh hinting a plan was being formulated for the Tasmanian to get a taste of red-ball cricket this winter.

One of Australia's World Cup heroes, Faulkner played three Bupa Sheffield Shield matches this summer and on Tuesday missed selection for the Test tours of the West Indies and the UK later this year, with Shane Watson and Mitchell Marsh the two allrounders in the squad.

Faulkner also missed out on the Australia A squad for their tour of India in July, but Marsh was hopeful the 24-year-old would be in action over the winter months.

"James desperately needs some red-ball cricket. It's not his fault that he's not played any red-ball cricket, really," Marsh said.

"Glenn Maxwell is another one who hasn't played much red-ball cricket and we're giving Glenn some (on the A tour).

"We've also got hopeful plans, which I can't reveal right now, for Jimmy Faulkner.

"He'll be right; he's a hell of a good cricketer. He's a hard man to keep down as we know.

"We certainly haven't forgotten him, put it that way."

Image Id: ~/media/B1CE1DF085994F1BBCCD17E39AFA2405

Faulkner was restricted to three Shield games this season // Getty

There is no suggestion that Faulkner will definitely sign a county deal, but he would be a plausible option for both Middlesex and Lancashire as they search for a replacement overseas player.

Voges had signed a deal in November to captain Middlesex for the 2015 season, replacing Australian Test opener Chris Rogers, who had to forgo another season with the Lord's-based county due to his anticipated, and subsequent, selection in Australia's Ashes squad.

But Voges's stunning Shield season for the Alcohol.Think Again Western Warriors, the fourth-best in the competition's history, and resultant elevation into the Test squad means Middlesex are scrambling to replace the 35-year-old for the 2015 season.

It's a similar situation at Lancashire, who are seeking to replace Siddle after the Victorian was also picked in Australia's squad.

Lancashire had only announced the signing of Siddle last month after the 30-year-old played just one of the four Tests against India this summer, with selectors preferring youngsters Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc to partner senior quicks Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris.

"It is a bit of a nightmare, I'll be honest. But it comes with the territory," Lancashire's head coach and cricket director Ashley Giles told M.E.N. Sport.

“It is great news for Peter to be back in that squad.

“But it is a surprise, because we thought we would have him for most of the summer, so it is disappointing.

“But when you sign good players, there is a chance of this happening. We always knew it was a slight risk, but not this big a risk. But good luck to him."

Giles's comments were echoed by Middlesex in regards to Voges, who scored 1358 runs at 104.46 and posted six centuries in his record-breaking Shield summer.

Given Voges's incredible form, Middlesex said they had anticipated his selection and had already begun searching for a replacement player before Tuesday's announcement.

"All of us at Middlesex are naturally delighted for Adam on his deserved inclusion in the squad, however this does leave us with the difficult problem of needing to find a replacement overseas player for the 2015 season with some immediacy," the county said in a statement.

"Given the record-breaking form that Adam has been in … his call up to the Australian squad became increasingly likely with every run scored, and towards the end of the Shield campaign became almost an inevitability, so we have for some time been working on a contingency plan in the event that this became a reality."

Middlesex confirmed Voges would still be available for the first four matches of the English domestic season before he links with the Test squad in the Caribbean, while Lancashire were hopeful Siddle would also be available for the county's first four matches.

"We are hoping we can still start the season with him and have him for four games upfront, but then we will have to look for a replacement after that," Giles said.

"It is not ideal and it is a bit of a nightmare to be honest, but at least in the short term if we can start the season with him it gives us some breathing space to find someone else.

"Cricket Australia will have to clear that, although they have had a lot going on with naming squads and having just won the World Cup. There is a lot on their plate.

"But the sooner we get the nod on it, the sooner we can plan ahead.

"If we get him for the first few games of the season, then hopefully he can get us off to a good start.”

The English county season gets underway on April 12.

Australians in English county cricket

• Derbyshire: Nathan Rimmington (T20 only)
• Durham: John Hastings
• Essex: Shaun Tait (T20 only)
• Glamorgan: Michael Hogan
• Gloucestershire: Michael Klinger, Peter Handscomb
• Hampshire: Jackson Bird
• Lancashire: Peter Siddle
• Leicestershire: Mark Cosgrove, Clint McKay
• Middlesex: Adam Voges
• Nottinghamshire: Ben Hilfenhaus
• Somerset: Tom Cooper
• Sussex: Steve Magoffin
• Yorkshire: Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell (T20 only)