Hampshire forced to cover Warne's absences

Although on Tuesday Shane Warne implied that he would be missing the Twenty20 Cup to play poker, it now seems he will be away from Hampshire for more than that and may miss the start of the 2008 Championship campaign.

"We are confident he will back, but we will have to start the season with someone different," Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire's chairman, told the BBC. "I am going to chat with Shane on 15 February and work out a sensible cricket programme for both of us.

"I am sure he will finish the season with us and certain he will be back long before that. I know who the replacement will be but there are still contract issues to finalise and I will announce those plans when they are complete. We have got most of the plans in place for the new season."

It had been known that Warne would miss some cricket, but it now appears that his absences could be more significant, which raises issues about his ability to captain the county.

Warne's poker career got off to an inauspicious start when he was penalised for sending a text during a tournament in Melbourne. He was punished with a five-minute suspension after being caught while at the table during the Aussie Millions at Melbourne's Crown Casino