HAMPSHIRE are hoping to make Andy Bichel their next overseas player - a decade after first trying to sign the former Australian Test bowler.

Queenslander Bichel, 34, is a teammate of Shane Watson at state level and both could be playing for Hampshire throughout August, because Shane Warne and Simon Katich will be on Ashes duty and Craig McMillan will be touring Zimbabwe with New Zealand.

Watson is a member of Australia's one-day squad and is likely to play against England in Monday's big Twenty20 match at the Rose Bowl.

He is set to return as a replacement for Warne in July after being left out of his country's Ashes squad and Hampshire's captain has also revealed that fast bowler Bichel is on the county's wanted list - ten years after the county first tried to sign him.

Warne said: "Shane Watson is keen and hopefully he'll replace me in mid-July until I'm back but there is a lot of work for the bowlers coming up so we might also look at another bowler.

"There are a lot of things to weigh up but Andy Bichel is on the list."

Yesterday manager Paul Terry confirmed that Hampshire want Bichel for six weeks as Kiwi McMillan is on international duty from July 26.

Terry said: "There are still a few things to be sorted out regarding Andy Bichel but we hope to know more later this week."

At his best Bichel bowls devastating away swing but has plenty of variation, and took 58 wickets in 19 Tests at 32.24, and 78 wickets at 31.57 in 67 ODIs, including a career best 7 for 20 against England in the 2003 World Cup.

He was exceptional for Worcestershire in 2001-02 but after a disappointing campaign last year, he did not return to New Road in order to spend more time with his young family.

But he is seriously considering making Hampshire his second county as a locum overseas player as he would only be signing a short-term contract.