Worcs hunt for Noffke replacement

Ashley Noffke is currently due to head back to Australia in mid-August

Worcestershire are talking to several players in the hope of finding a replacement overseas signing for Ashley Noffke over the season's final month.

The Western Australia all-rounder is due to head off back for a pre-season training camp Down Under in mid-August.

And, after last year's fiasco when Fidel Edwards pulled out at short notice on medical grounds, they are keen to get someone signed up.

Former Worcestershire favourite Zaheer Khan has been mooted as a contender.

With the season not due to finish until 27 September, when Worcestershire play their final Pro40 League game, there will be more than a month's cricket for any stand-in - at least five matches in both the County Championship and the Pro40.

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But Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton says that there has so far been no formal approach to Zaheer from either himself, coach Steve Rhodes or skipper Vikram Solanki.

And, although the county are talking to several players, Newton does not yet want to be drawn on which ones.

"I know Vikram and Zaheer are still close and they talk," said Newton. "But there hasn't been anything formal from us."

Indian left-armer Zaheer initially joined Worcestershire in 2006 as their second overseas player as a replacement for Australian Nathan Bracken in 2006.

Zaheer Khan has played 65 Tests and 165 one-day games for India

He was a big hit, taking more than 100 wickets, 78 in first-class cricket at 29.07, 28 in one-day games and four in his five games in the Twenty20.

He became the first Worcestershire player in over 100 years to take 10 wickets in a match on his Championship debut when he took 4-100 and 6-40 against Somerset at New Road in April 2006.

Then, two months later at Chelmsford, he took the first nine wickets to fall in the first innings against Essex, all in the final session of the day.

He ended with 9-138 and would have become the first bowler to take all 10 for the county had wicket-keeper Steven Davies not dropped a catch offered the next morning by last man Darren Gough.