Welcome headaches for Lancs skipper

THE season hasn’t started yet, and Lancashire captain Dane Vilas is already having headaches!

But they are headaches every skipper wants ahead of a new county cricket season – who to leave out.

The Red Rose begin their LV= County Championship campaign against Sussex at Emirates Old Trafford today looking to mark the 10-year anniversary of their last title win with another triumph.

They go into the new-look conference structure for the Championship without

Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone – who are playing in the IPL. But they will have England’s Jimmy Anderson available from round three until the first Test at the end of

June, while Australian fast bowler Jackson Bird jets in to form what will be a mouthwatering new-ball partnership for that match against Kent at Canterbury.

Richard Gleeson is also out, recovering from a stress fracture he suffered last year, while new signing Luke Wells missed a reunion with his former club Sussex this week, but should have recovered from a hamstring injury suffered in pre-season for next week’s home game with Northamptonshire.

But with Saqib Mahmood and Matthew Parkinson available after winters in the Pakistan Super League and England tours to Sri Lanka and India respectively, Vilas still has a host of tough decisions to make.

“We’re in one of those funny periods where it’s exciting, but it’s also really tricky to pick a team,” said South African Vilas, who this season is now an overseas player following Brexit.

“Those are good problems to have.

“It makes for some awkward conversations, but it shows how good our squad is.”