YORKSHIRE are almost certain to be without their ace batsman and captain Darren Lehmann next season following today's news that he has replaced Mark Waugh in Australia's side for the first Test against England starting in Brisbane on November 7.

If Lehmann has won back his Test place on a permanent basis, as seems likely, it means he will be on Australia's tour of the West Indies next May and June.

And if the 32-year-old left-hander continues to hold on to his place over the next few years he may never return to Yorkshire.

Yorkshire chairman Geoff Cope said today that he was flying out to Australia on November 16 for the second and third Tests and he would be meeting up with Lehmann to discuss his future.

"In the short term, we had anticipated that it was very doubtful that we would see Darren at all in 2003," said Cope.

"But we will not know for sure until next March when Australia announce their squad for the West Indies and it is because of this uncertainty that we have delayed making any decision over the captaincy until then.

"There is some doubt over Australia's fixture list after 2003 but we will be certainly monitoring the situation closely."

Yorkshire have already signed up Lehmann's fellow Australian Matthew Elliott for next season after he filled in so successfully for Lehmann towards the end of last summer.

From now on, Cope will be checking who is available as a possible replacement for Lehmann and the likelihood is that Yorkshire will go for a bowler or all-rounder rather than an out-and-out batsman.

Their problems will really begin if the ambitious and talented Elliott also wins back his Test place but they will meet that hurdle if and when they come to it.

Mark Waugh announced his retirement from international cricket after hearing that he had been dropped for the Ashes opener. The 37-year-old twin brother of Australia's captain, Steve, Mark played in 128 Tests, scoring 8,029 runs at an average of 41.81.

Yorkshire's committee have agreed that an extraordinary general meeting of the club should be held at Headingley on December 7 when members will be asked to keep the new management board in office.

Updated: 12:07 Monday, October 28, 2002