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by Julian Guyer

LONDON, Friday (AFP) - England's cricket season begins with its traditional whimper rather than a bang on Saturday with a handful of counties involved in matches against the universities.

And to some eyes the influx of foreign talent into the English county game this season will have a similarly lacklustre look.

Back in the early 1980s a spectator at a match between Somerset and Hampshire could expect to see Joel Garner and Vivian Richards opposing fellow West Indies Test stars Gordon Greenidge and Malcolm Marshall.

But the corresponding fixture this year will see Somerset fielding Australian Jamie Cox and Hampshire Zimbabwean Neil Johnson.

In the intervening 20 years the quality quotient has declined primarily because the increasingly congested global calendar has seen fewer and fewer top-class internationals able to play a full county season.

National demands mean that some counties' first-choice foreigners will be required by their country for the early part of the English season and this has led to replacements being drafted.

For example, New Zealand's rescheduled tour of Pakistan has caused problems for London-based rivals Middlesex and Surrey.

Middlesex were expecting Pakistan all-rounder Abdur Razzaq to be at Lord's for the start of the campaign but instead it will be Australian pace bowler Ashley Noffke taking his place in the team photograph as Razzaq battles against the Kiwis.

"My top priority is to play for my country but on the same side I would want to fulfil my contract with Middlesex," said Razzaq.

Meanwhile, across London, off-spinner Saqlain's absence has seen Surrey call in his fellow Pakistani Azhar Mahmood for early season action.

Yorkshire, traditionally England's strongest county, start the season as champions, a position they have not been in for 33 years.

Like a number of sides they have found that the best way to solve the overseas conundrum is to have a non-Test player but one good enough to have won dozens of caps had he born English.

In their case the answer has been Australian batsman Darren Lehmann, who is also their captain this season.

Last year Lehmann scored 1,416 runs at an average of over 83 and Yorkshire will want a similar return this year.

Lehmann is not the only Australian in charge of an English county - Mike Hussey (Northampton) and Jamie Cox (Somerset) will also be holding the reins.

Australia's current dominance in world cricket is reflected in the counties' choices.

Including Noffke, 11 Aussies will play in England this summer, although none is curently a Test regular.

Another indicator of cricket's changing power base is that not a single West Indian is due to play county cricket this season but three Zimbabweans are - Johnson, Murray Goodwin (Sussex) and Andy Flower (Essex).

On the international front, England captain Nasser Hussain can look forward to competitive Test series against Sri Lanka and India.

Both touring sides have gifted run-makers in their ranks and world-class spinners in Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) and Anil Kumble (India).

But each may struggle to find good enough pace bowling support for Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka) and Javagal Srinath (India).

Meanwhile English cricket remains in sombre mood following the deaths of England all-rounder Ben Hollioake and Sussex spinner Umer Rashid in a car accident and by drowning respectively.

Both players were still in their 20s and yet to reach their full potential.

But it is Surrey, who can expect to see more of uncontracted England internationals Mark Ramprakash and Alec Stewart, who have the better chance of finishing the season on a happier note.

Overseas players with English counties for 2002 season

Derbyshire: Michael Di Venuto (Aus), Durham: Martin Love (Aus), Essex: Andy Flower (Zim), Glamorgan: Michael Kasprowicz (Aus), Gloucestershire: Ian Harvey (Aus), Hampshire: Neil Johnson (Zim), Kent: Andrew Symonds (Aus), Lancashire: Stuart Law (Aus), Leicestershire: Michael Bevan (Aus), Middlesex: Ashley Noffke (Aus)/Abdur Razzaq (Pak), Northamptonshire: Mike Hussey (Aus), Nottinghamshire: Lance Klusener (Rsa)/Nicky Boje (Rsa), Somerset: Jamie Cox (Aus), Surrey: Azhar Mahmood (Pak)/Saqlain Mushtaq (Pak), Sussex: Murray Goodwin (Zim), Warwickshire: Shaun Pollock (Rsa), Worcestershire: Andrew Bichel (Aus), Yorkshire: Darren Lehmann (Aus).

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