Depleted Hampshire Seek to Tie Down Warne in Busy Summer

Hampshire's chairman Rod Bransgrove, will today hold talks with Shane Warne about his commitment to the county this summer, although it is likely that the captain will play for only the second half of the season.

The Australian is scheduled to take part in the new Indian Premier League, which will not finish until the start of June and will then go to Las Vegas to play in the World Series of Poker.

Counties are allowed only one overseas player this season and Warne's absence has prompted an angry reaction from some Hampshire supporters. But Bransgrove still believes the 38-year-old has plenty to offer.

"Warne has been fantastic for this club, which is why I will be seeing him at the end of the week to see what we can thrash out," he said.

Bransgrove is the man who oversaw Hampshire's move to a new ground and his main aim is to win the championship for the first time since 1973. They were second in 2005, third in 2006 and fifth last year. This year, however, they have lost several key players and, with Warne only likely to play from July, they will do well to avoid relegation.

The loss of Warne in July is not such a major blow to the county because the player normally misses the domestic Twenty20 season, although Hampshire would have liked him this year because they will be hosting the finals day.

Hampshire's problems have been compounded by the reduction in overseas players this season, the loss of the seamer James Bruce - who has decided to take up a career in the City - and the likelihood that Chris Tremlett and Dimitri Mascarenhas will spend time playing one-day cricket for England alongside Kevin Pietersen, who spends most of the English season playing for the national team. They also lost Shaun Udal to retirement at the end of last season, although the off-spinner has since signed a two-year deal with Middlesex.

Recent efforts to sign the Australian fast bowler Ashley Noffke for the first half of the season broke down after he also decided to join Middlesex and they are now attempting to bring in the New Zealander Shane Bond, no longer playing for his country because he has signed to play in the rebel Indian Cricket League, the country's unofficial Twenty20 competition. Worcestershire, however, are also interested in the left-arm pace man.

Hampshire's director of cricket, Tim Tremlett, said: "We have also lost the overseas players Darren Powell and Stuart Clark from last season, while Mitchell Stokes has left the staff. Sean Ervine remains our only Kolpak player - Nic Pothas qualifies for England at the start of the season - and we don't want to go further down that road."