sport news Now counties are chasing Mitchell Starc with several more Australians to play ... trends now

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A posse of Australians could follow Steve Smith by signing up for pre-Ashes practice in the County Championship this summer.

Usman Khawaja, who hit a Test-best 195no against South Africa this month, has made himself available for an early-season stint while the MoS understands counties have directly approached two of Australia’s pace-bowling group, Mitchell Starc and Lance Morris, who has been in recent squads but is uncapped.

Khawaja has previously played for Lancashire, Derbyshire and Glamorgan and like Smith — who yesterday made it back-to-back Big Bash hundreds with a career-best 125no for the Sixers in the Sydney derby — is keen on a stint in English conditions to sharpen his aim ahead of what is expected to be six Test matches here for Pat Cummins’ side. Australia have all but qualified for the World Test Championship final in early June. The Ashes runs from June 16 to July 31.