YORKSHIRE officials are considering their options after learning that overseas signing Aaron Finch has been ruled out for 12 weeks with a serious hamstring injury.

The Australian batsman had been one of the club’s headline acts for the 2015 Nat West T20 Blast and the LV= County Championship but the news that he has had an operation on the injury he sustained playing for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League last Tuesday has thrown the whole deal into doubt.

"After returning to Australia injured from the IPL, Aaron had scans that confirmed a high grade hamstring injury," said Cricket Australia's physio Alex Kountouris.

"As such, Aaron was assessed by a surgeon who felt that he would have a better outcome with surgery.

"Aaron subsequently had surgery and that has gone well. Aaron will now commence his rehabilitation and we expect that rehabilitation to take up to 12 weeks."

If the full 12 weeks is required, Finch would be unavailable until at least July, a worse outcome than Yorkshire expected. Finch was originally due to arrive at Headingley at the end of May.

“It is disappointing news for Aaron and for us,” said director of cricket Martyn Moxon. “We were hoping that he would be with us in May but that is not going to happen.

“Plans are in place to fill the void that Aaron will leave. We are hopeful that we can get this sorted sooner rather than later and remain confident that we’ll find a replacement for the LV= County Championship and the NatWest T20 Blast.”

Moxon later confirmed that Yorkshire “had irons in the fire” regarding Finch but the county’s officials had other injury problems as their fit players sought to force a victory against Nottinghamshire.

Ryan Sidebottom’s calf injury will keep him out for six weeks while Cheteshwar Pujara was off the field after injuring the webbing in his left hand. Moxon, however, thought that Pujara would be fit for Sunday’s match against Warwickshire.