YORKSHIRE'S new captain Darren Lehmann now looks certain to miss the first three weeks of the season with the county champions - and coach Wayne Clark has been asked to advise on another Australian as a possible replacement while Lehmann is serving his country in Zimbabwe.

Although Yorkshire are still unclear on whether Lehmann would be picked for Zimbabwe, reports from Australia indicated that the Test squad chosen for the tour of South Africa from February 14 to April 9 was also the one to do battle in Zimbabwe from April 13 to May 7.

And Lehmann himself, who has now been called up for the current VB series of one-day internationals in Australia, was quoted as saying: "It's been a pretty good 24 hours for me. The news of my inclusion in the Test squad to tour South Africa and Zimbabwe was exciting on its own. To know that I will be joining the one-day international team for the Perth leg of the VB series is icing on the cake."

Lehmann is expected to play in Sunday's crucial match with South Africa at the WACA ground and the game is already a sell-out.

So far this season, Lehmann has blazed the trail for South Australia, smashing 772 runs in Pura Cup matches at an average of 64.33 and rattling up 361 runs in seven one-day games for an average of 72.20.

It is form which Australia have been unable to ignore any longer and it appears as if a policy decision has been taken to bring back Lehmann for Test matches and one-day internationals.

Yorkshire chief executive, Chris Hassell, said that he had already spoken to Clark, the club's Australian coach, and asked him to pick out a possible replacement for Lehmann while he is away.

"Wayne knows the form and who is playing well and he should be able to provide us with some useful information," said Hassell.

But Yorkshire are also looking in the direction of New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan to see if there is a suitable candidate available from one of those countries.

"We shall take our time in making our choice and will not be rushed into a decision," said Hassell.

Meanwhile, Sir Lawrence Byford, Yorkshire's former president and chairman, continues to recover from his heart attack after being air-lifted to Cape Town from a cruise ship.

He expects to be discharged from hospital shortly and will then spend a month convalescing before returning with Lady Muriel to their home at Pannal, near Harrogate.

Updated: 11:55 Friday, February 01, 2002