Hampshire cricket will unveil their new captain on Monday - just 11 days before the start of the season.

Will Kendall, the current vice captain, is in the frame along with Shaun Udal and John Crawley and it may well be that a decision is made in time for the new

skipper to take charge of a two-day pre-season friendly against Somerset, which starts at the Rose Bowl on Monday.

But the delay in announcing the new skipper suggests that there may be a twist.

It could be that Wasim Akram is considering an offer to captain Hampshire over the weekend despite expressing reservations about taking on the job when he met first team manager Paul Terry and director of cricket Tim Tremlett earlier this week.

Wasim, pictured right, is currently playing in a double wicket competition in St Lucia but is expected to meet his new teammates on Tuesday, in time to play in Hampshire's

second pre-season friendly - a one dayer against Somerset at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday.

Hampshire then play a two-day match against Surrey, also at the Rose Bowl, which begins on Thursday.

First team manager Paul Terry will take charge of his first match with the bulk of his playing staff available.

James Tomlinson, Jimmy Adams and John Francis are all likely to be back at university but Derek Kenway is expected to have recovered from an ankle injury in time.

Hampshire's bowling resources are likely to be considerably stronger than last year when Alan Mullally, Alex Morris and Chris Tremlett all struggled with injury.

Mullally insists he has fully recovered from the rib injury that restricted him last season, while Morris is free of back pain and is expecting to be fully fit for the start of the season after missing most of the last campaign.

Tremlett is also ready for next week's games after making a rapid recovery from his foot injury last year, before continuing his progress with the ECB Academy.

Former Australia Test bowler Bruce Reid, who is working with Hampshire until the end of the month, has had his first week coaching the Hampshire bowlers, who include a fit again Charlie Van Der Gucht and new signing Ed Giddins, and will be with the county until the end of April.

Admission to next week's games is free but parking is restricted because of tarmacking work.