JOE Scuderi is in line to make his Lancashire debut on the club's pre-season tour of South Africa.

Scuderi, Lancashire's new Aussie all-rounder who does not count as an overseas player because of his Italian roots, is included in a 16-man squad for the six-match, three-week trip.

But there is no place for new second team skipper Mike Watkinson, as well as five more players who figured in the first team last year - Nathan Wood, Paddy McKeown, Mark Harvey, Jamie Haynes and Paul Ridgway.

Lancashire have decided to cut down on the number of players making the trip so that new coach Bob Simpson will have plenty of chance to see the regular first teamers in action.

Simpson will meet up with the squad for the first time before Lancashire start the tour with two three-day games against the Western Province Academy team.

Then they play four one-day games to prepare for the early-season Benson and Hedges Cup, culminating in a day-night game against the full Western Province team at Newlands.

New overseas signing Sourav Ganguly is unavailable because of international commitments with India, but Andy Flintoff is included as he continues his foot injury recovery.

Squad: Crawley (captain), Hegg (wk), Atherton, Chilton, Fairbrother, Flintoff, Lloyd, Scuderi, Austin, Martin, Chapple, Green, Smethurst, Schofield, Yates, Keedy.

Itinerary: March 15-17 v Western Province Academy (Bellville CC); 19-21 v Western Province Academy (Northern Goodwood); 24 v Western Province B (Bellville); 26 v Western Province Cape XI (Hermanus CC); 28 v Western Province (Mitchells Plain); 29 v Western Province (Newlands, day-night).

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