Hampshire still keen to sign Australian Test star Nathan Lyon for new-look 2021 County Championship

The Australian spinner, 33, was due to play for the county in the 2020 Championship.

He was all set to take his place in a mouthwatering and cosmpolitan attack also featuring Kolpak pair Kyle Abbott and Fidel Edwards.

While the pandemic shattered that plan, Hampshire remain keen to sign Lyon for this summer’s remodelled County Championship.

With the rules now changed following the ending of the Kolpak era, counties are allowed two overseas players in 2021.

South African seamer Abbott has already agreed to become one of them, and Lyon could become the second.

‘We’re waiting to see what his availability is,’ said director of cricket Giles White.

‘We are looking to sign a high quality bowler.

‘If we can’t get Nathan, there’s not many other spinners around who could fill his shoes so we would be looking for a seam bowler instead.’

At present, Australia don’t have any international fixtures planned between next month - when they start a three-Test series in South Africa - and next winter’s Ashes showdown with England.

Lyon is the 16th highest wicket-taker in Test history, with 399 victims in 100 appearances at 32.12.

The only slow bowlers who have taken more Test wickets are Muttiah Muralitharan (800), ex-Hampshire skipper Shane Warne (708), Anil Kumble (619), Rangana Herath (433) and Harbhajan Singh (417).

Hampshire are due to play 10 games in group 2 of a new-look County Championship, two each against Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Somerset and Surrey.

The top two in each group progress into Division 1 for the second phase of the competition, where the top two teams will go into a Lord’s final to determine the overall champions.

As well as the pandemic presenting its own set of unprecedented challenges, Hampshire were also hit hard by injuries last summer.

Liam Dawson suffered an Achilles injury in the only county game he played - a Bob Willis Trophy tie against Middlesex at Arundel - after missing the start of Hampshire’s truncated season due to England commitments.

Batsman Aneurin Donald didn’t feature at all, following an ACL injury, while experienced bowler Keith Barker missed the final month with a knee operation that subsequently required a winter clean-up op.

White is hopeful all three will be fully fit by the time Hampshire’s opening Championship game against Leicestershire in the East Midlands starts on April 8.

At present, only the Championship fixtures have been announced.

White believes the T20 Blast will be held in June and July, with The Hundred taking centre stage in late July through to mid-to-late August.

The 50-over tournament was initially due to run alongside the ECB's much vaunted Hundred tournament in 2020, and that could again be the case this summer.

Again, two overseas players are allowed in the T20 Blast with Abbott likely to occupy one of the slots.

Pakistan seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi played most of last season’s T20 Blast fixtures - he was already in England after his country’s Test series.

While most of his appearances was highly forgettable, he did rewrite the record books by taking four wickets in successive deliveries on his way to a stunning 6-21 haul against Middlesex at The Ageas Bowl in his final game.

White said it is unlikely Afridi will return in 2021 due to Pakistan’s commitments - the Asia Cup takes place in June followed by a one-day tour of England.

Abbott was one of three Kolpaks in Hampshire’s 2019 team, when they finished third in the Championship and reached the Lord’s final of the 50-over cup.

Of the others, West Indian bowler Edwards - ‘who was an absolute superstar’ according to White during his Hampshire career - won’t be returning.

The third, Rilee Rossouw, will only be considered if Hampshire want a left-handed top order batsman for the T20 Blast.