Cricket: Warne Sizes Up County Return

Hampshire's chairman Rod Bransgrove was in talks with his captain Shane Warne last night in the hope of bringing him back to the Rose Bowl next season, even though Australia are touring England.

The first Test of the Ashes series will be played at Lord's on July 21-25 and Bransgrove is hoping that Warne will be available to lead Hampshire in their opening matches in the First Division earlier in the summer.

Australia are due to play England in a Twenty20 fixture - at the Rose Bowl - on June 13 and the NatWest Series will start three days later, but Warne has retired from international one-day cricket.

Hampshire have been revitalised by Warne's leadership this season, winning promotion to the First Division in the championship and holding their place in the higher division of the National League.

Bransgrove said yesterday: "Shane is simply a genius. We've had great leadership this season. He's been dynamic and his attitude has been infectious.

"He's brought us everything we wanted and more. I'm sure he'll be playing for Hampshire for many years to come. I will be talking to him tonight, when we hold our end-of-season review dinner, or tomorrow before he flies out of England. And even after he leaves there will be regular phone calls between us.

"We want him back next season and he wants to come back. One issue I'm trying to help him out with now is schooling. His children, Brooke and Jackson, are both at school age."

Hampshire also hope to do some rebuilding before next season, though Bransgrove said: "We haven't talked to anyone yet and won't do until they are out of contract. But there might be some activity next month when we identify the areas where we feel we need to strengthen."

Hampshire have already been linked with the Worcestershire batsman Kadeer Ali and may also be interested in Aftab Habib (Essex), Jon Lewis (Gloucestershire) and Mohammad Ali (Derbyshire), who are all out of contract.