Starc could be forced home over visa worry

Starc’s participation in the match has been thrown into doubt owing to problems with his visa. If the issue is not resolved today, Starc could be forced to fly back to Australia to sort it out before returning to England.

The problem is thought to relate to an incorrectly filled-out application by Cricket Australia, which Starc needs to play cricket in this country. Starc, 22, was questioned by the authorities on his arrival at Heathrow Airport on Saturday before heading to Yorkshire to meet his new team-mates.

Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale confirmed the club are urgently trying to rectify the problem.

The Gloucestershire game is scheduled to be the first of four Championship matches for Starc during an initial five-week deal.

However, Yorkshire are confident his stay will be extended.

Yorkshire squad versus Gloucestershire: Gale (captain), Sayers, Lyth, Jaques, Ballance, McGrath, Brophy, Bresnan, Rashid, Starc, Sidebottom, Patterson.

THE West Indies drew stumps on a frustrating false start at Hove with a degree of relief that their 11 fit players remain so after the 34 overs possible between the downpours over the past three days.

After Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo had helped their team to 90-3 from the 16 overs which preceded yet more rain and an eventual abandonment against Sussex, the latter confirmed there was no need to worry over the bruised hand suffered by his batting partner.

The West Indies management have been saying exactly the same thing for the past three days about the delayed arrivals of Assad Fudadin and Narsingh Deonarine – awaiting their visas in Jamaica – and Marlon Samuels, following his Indian Premier League stint.

They hope Samuels will fly in today, and Guyanese pair Fudadin and Deonarine will be here for the match against England Lions on Thursday.

Bravo admitted the lack of match action was proving unsettling for him and his team-mates.

“It’s a little bit frustrating,” he said. “The guys really wanted to get out there and get as much match practice as possible, with a Test match starting in a few days.

“But we can’t do anything about it.”