Mushtaq in for champions

Mushtaq will be crucial if Sussex are to win a third straight Championship title

Champions Sussex are set to recall experienced duo Mushtaq Ahmed and Murray Goodwin as they begin the defence of their LV County Championship title at Hampshire.

Both former international stars were rested during the season curtain-raiser against MCC at Lord’s which ended in a draw.

Sussex will be without seamer Jason Lewry, who suffered a knee injury in that match and will be out for a couple of weeks.

The new signings of Kenya medium-pacer Ragheb Aga, leg-spinner Will Beer and South Australia all-rounder Ryan Harris could make their Championship debuts after featuring at Lord’s.

Harris and Aga, a one-time captain of Kenya, hold British passports so can play alongside overseas player Mushtaq.

Former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond will make his Hampshire debut.

Bond has had his central contract terminated by New Zealand Cricket, and will play no part in the Black Caps' upcoming tour of England.

New captain Dimitri Mascarenhas leads his side before departing to play in the Indian Premier League for a fortnight at the end of the month.

He will be without the services of centrally-contracted England batsman Kevin Pietersen, former Zimbabwe all-rounder Sean Ervine and youngster David Balcombe.

Pietersen is unavailable for Hampshire until next month, Ervine has not recovered from a hamstring injury sufficiently to play and will turn out for the second team, while Balcombe is struggling with a back injury.

Greg Lamb will attempt to fill the void left by the departure of spinners Shane Warne and Shaun Udal during the off-season.