Dominic Cork has thrown Hampshire’s pre-season plans into chaos with his inclusion in the Indian Premier League auction.

All-rounder Cork signed a two-year contract with Hampshire in October after being controversially released by Lancashire towards the end of last season.

A major reason for Hampshire’s signing of Cork was as a replacement for Dimi Mascarenhas during the first six weeks of the season, when the Hampshire captain will be playing for the Rajasthan Royals, the IPL champions.

Now the 37-year-old could also be taking part in the Twenty20 glamour fest in India while Hampshire are trying to get their season off to the best possible start.

If he plays for the duration of the tournament, the worst-case scenario for Hampshire is that Cork will be unavailable for three Championship matches, all eight Friends Provident Trophy group games as well as the start of the county’s Twenty20 Cup campaign.

Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove last night confirmed he and Cork are still negotiating how long the county’s new signing will be permitted to play in the IPL, if at all.

He said: “We’ve discussed it and I’m still in the process of negotiating with Dominic, but it’s not very convenient for us.”

For full story see today's Daily Echo.