Now counties are chasing Mitchell Starc with several more Australians to play in County Championship

A posse of Aussies could follow Steve Smith by signing up for pre-Ashes practice at the County Championship this summer.

Usman Khawaja, who posted a best 195th in the Test against South Africa this month, has made himself available for an early season stint, while the MoS understands counties have moved directly within two of the pace bowling group of Australia, Mitchell Starc and Lance Morris, who has been in recent squads but is uncapped.

Khawaja has previously played for Lancashire, Derbyshire and Glamorgan and, like Smith, who made hundreds of consecutive Big Bash yesterday with a career-best 125th for the Sixers in the Sydney derby, is keen on a season in English conditions to sharpen their aim ahead of what is expected to be six Test matches here for Pat Cummins’ side. Australia have almost qualified for the World Test Championship final in early June. The Ashes runs from June 16 to July 31.

Several sides in the County Championship are chasing Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc

Usman Khawaja, who has been in brilliant form for Australia, has made himself available

Australian batsmen who missed out on the IPL this spring, such as Travis Head and Matt Renshaw, could be looking for returns here, with 13 overseas spots still to be filled.

Renshaw had decided not to return to Somerset after recently becoming a father, but his recent international retirement may prompt a rethink.

But it’s contact with former Yorkshireman Starc, who is sitting out the IPL to preserve himself for the Ashes, and Morris, who bowls 90mph and is the main wicket-taker in this winter’s Sheffield Shield. , which will irritate those who believe counties should not provide warm-up time for Australia’s stars.

Fast bowler Lance Morris, who has yet to make his debut, is another of the many Australians who could play in the Championship this summer.

Two Australian states are understood to be investing in the American Twenty20 competition that will clash with the English domestic season.

The financial model for the £100m Major League, the first edition of which will be played this July, will see two Indian Premier League franchises own two of the six teams, with local investors as major shareholders in the remaining four, backed for more IPL money in two cases and funding from Australia in the other two.

Fearful that their Big Bash League will lose ground on the world stage to new tournaments in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, Australian cricket bosses are interested in making a strategic mark elsewhere.

The competition allows seven foreign players, but only five on the field at a time and they will be offered offers of £30,000 to £100,000.