Derbyshire set to lose Hopes

James Hopes is set to take a break from cricket to recover from a shoulder injury © Getty Images

James Hopes, the Australian allrounder, is set to be forced out of his Derbyshire contract with a shoulder injury. He is currently playing with the aid of injections and is still aiming for the World Cup before taking a break from the game.

Hopes, who has nine one-day internationals under his belt, was recalled by Australia for the Twenty20 International against England following the withdrawals of Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee. However, he didn't make the final XI in Australia's 77-run win.

He said missing his first season of county cricket is a major blow. "I know it leaves the club in a difficult position but there is just no way I'll be able to play," he told the club website. "I have always wanted to play county cricket and was delighted at the prospect of linking up with Derbyshire this season. I am waiting for final confirmation from the medics with both Queensland and Cricket Australia later this week but it's not looking good."

Tom Sears, the Derbyshire chief executive, added: "This is obviously a massive blow as James is an outstanding all round player who will be very hard to replace. We are in the position where we have the financial resource to look at the best possible alternative and Dave Houghton [the director of cricket] has drawn up a list of potential replacements.

"There are very few genuine allrounders of James's ability available so it may be that we look at a specialist."