Clark has played 22 Tests and 39 one-day internationals for Australia

Gloucestershire will not be signing Australian seamer Stuart Clark.

The county had hoped to boost their bowling options while New Zealander James Franklin was on international duty at the ICC World Twenty20.

And Clark, 33, was earmarked to play in two County Championship games and the Friends Provident Trophy quarter-final before linking up with Australia.

But the county has said that Clark's inability to get a visa in "the right time frame" has scuppered the move.

It had been hoped Clark would feature in four-day games at Derbyshire and at home to Middlesex as well as the last-eight one-day tie against Nottinghamshire.

And Gloucestershire were willing to face the wrath of England fans critical of their decision to give an Australian crucial match practice ahead of the Ashes tour, which opens against Sussex on Wednesday, 24 June.

606: DEBATE Bad luck for us and Clark U2569234

Clark had been due to start the season with Kent but was called up to Australia's squad on their tour of South Africa after recovering from an elbow injury.

He has enjoyed two previous spells in English county cricket, taking 25 first-class wickets for Middlesex in 2005 and 24 for Hampshire in 2007.

Since making his Test debut in 2006, Clark has taken 90 wickets in 22 Tests at an average of 22.97, including 26 victims in Australia's 5-0 defeat of England in the Ashes series of 2006/07.

Franklin, 28, will be on World Twenty20 duty with New Zealand in June and could be involved with the Black Caps until the final at Lord's on Sunday, 21 June.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version