A SEARCH for a replacement overseas star has been started by Kent Cricket Club after the news that Andrew Symonds will miss the last month of the season because of his call-up by Australia A.

Symonds will depart his county duties on August 18 following Kent’s championship match with Warwickshire in Birmingham to join the ACB tour party preparing for their hastily-arranged trip to South Africa. The call-up means the centrally contracted player with the ACB will miss four championship games, the county’s last five Norwich Union League matches and a potential Lord’s final should Kent win Thursday’s C&G Trophy semi-final against Somerset.

“The tour and Andrew’s call-up did come as surprise to us but it isn’t the first time this has happened to us and I dare say it won’t be the last,” said Kent chief executive Paul Millman. “I here the fine words coming from the ICC about easing down the international schedules but these things cannot be rushed through and that can lead to frustrations such as this.

“My worry is that certain international boards will continue to use their players to make money out of what some people refer to as ‘Mickey Mouse’ tours. I am certainly not levelling that accusation at the Australian Board in this instance, and I can see that a one-day tour like this one would be useful to their World Cup preparations, but it would have been useful for us to know of their plans 18 months ago.”

Kent will not be hit financially over the loss of Symonds as the ACB will pay their player for the remainder of his contracted period, but his loss will present Kent with potential problems in finding and then bedding in a suitable replacement at a critical period.

“We clearly have to act quickly and have made inroads into finding a replacement overseas players but it would be wrong of me to start naming names at this stage,” said Mr Millman. “Andrew is a difficult man to replace because there are many facets to his game, so I would prefer to keep my powder dry on a new player until the deal is signed and sealed.”