David Warner on Yorkshire

Greg Blewett's omission from Australia's World Cup squad means that he will now have a full season with Yorkshire and he is due to arrive at Headingley in the second week in April.

Yorkshire skipper David Byas said today that he was "thrilled" at the news and he also expressed delight that Gavin Hamilton, ignored by England, had now been included in Scotland's World Cup party.

Blewett recently forced his way back into Australia's Test team and is currently on their tour of the Caribbean.

It had been feared that this would cause him to miss Yorkshire's opening championship match against Gloucestershire at Headingley but he will now return home immediately after the Test series and Australia will pack their side with World Cup players for the one-day internationals against the West Indies.

Byas, who learned of Blewett's availability during Yorkshire's first day back for training at Headingley yesterday, said: "I am disappointed for Greg personally that he will not figure in Australia's World Cup plans but I am absolutely thrilled that this means he will be with us from ball one.

"England physiotherapist Wayne Morton says that he has spoken a lot to Greg this winter and he has assured us that Greg is looking forward immensely to joining Yorkshire.

"We will all now have the chance to meet up with him at Headingley once our pre-season tour of South Africa is over and by the time the season starts he will really feel one of the lads.

"Having Greg in the side from the very first match means that we begin from a position of strength and his quality of batting will be a big asset to us. I am sure his bowling will also be very important on occasions."

Scotland's director of cricket, Jim Love, the former Yorkshire and Harrogate batsman, wasted no time yesterday in including Hamilton in his squad of 15 once it was known that the paceman had not made the leap from England's original provisional squad of 30.

Love immediately contacted England chairman of selectors, David Graveney, who was able to assure him that Hamilton was not on standby to replace any of the four England players who currently have doubts about their fitness.

Once this had been confirmed, Love gave Hamilton the place in Scotland's squad that had been left open for him should these exact circumstances arise.

Hamilton is currently on holiday in Australia, where he is playing club cricket, and Yorkshire are trying to contact him to formally confirm that he has accepted Scotland's World Cup invitation.

"Gavin is a dedicated professional cricketer who thoroughly deserves the honour of being selected to play for Scotland in the World Cup and I and all his Yorkshire team-mates wish him all the best of luck," said Byas.

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