RED tape is threatening to cut down the number of overseas cricket professionals playing in the local leagues. Already one Bolton club, Little Lever, have had to think again after their Australian pro did not qualify for a work permit.

And although the new rules will not affect current overseas professionals, who have been re-signed by clubs for the coming season, it will come into force the following year severly hitting a number of local clubs.

The new work permit qualifications demand that an overseas player must have played at least five first class games during the previous 18 months.

Of all the current Bolton League professionals, only one, Bradshaw's Sajid Shah, meets that criteria.

Professionals such as Iqbal Sikander, who has helped Tonge to a hat-trick of title wins, Greenmount's Australian pro Craig Norris, West Indians Gavin Nedd of Egerton and Kevin Darlington of Farnworth Social Circle, and Pakistani Shahid Mahboob of Astley Bridge would not, under the new rules, be granted work permits. At Little Lever, the club were planning to sign Australian Mark Higgs until it was discovered that he had only played one first class game.

Club treasurer Harry Rushmore explained: "Everything was set for the lad to come over but then these new rules were introduced and suddenly we found out he would not be allowed a work permit.

"He has only played one first class game, for the Prime Minister's XI against the touring South Africans, so that ruled him out. He also couldn't come over and play for us as an amateur as our own league rules state that amateurs should not have played any first class games.

"It's a Catch 22 situation. "I spoke with the Department of Employment and said that Commonwealth countries had a reciprocal agreement where players under the age of 27 could come over for six months on a holiday visa.

"That, however, is now restricted to just amateur players," he said.

Another stumbling block for clubs planning to sign overseas players is that work permits will only be processed six weeks before the players arrive.

"If there are problems, it gives us precious little time to sort them out," he said. "It looks as if signing an Aussie, a South African or the like is going to be something of a calculated gamble and to be honest I don't think many clubs are prepared to do that.

"In the past we've had players such as Sonny Ramadhin and Geoff Marsh, Greenmount have had current Aussie captain Mark Taylor as professional, but those days could now be over."

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