Middlesex announced a 15-man squad yesterday to compete in the Stanford Super Series in Antigua at the end of the month, including two new signings in Neil Dexter and Neil Carter but a notable omission in the case of Ed Smith, who captained the side until he was injured in June.

Dexter, the 24-year-old batsman, has joined Middlesex after turning down the offer of a three-year contract extension with Kent, whom Middlesex beat in the Twenty20 Cup final to earn their place in Antigua. Carter, the Warwickshire all-rounder, has been loaned to the London club until the end of December to cover in the Stanford Series and Twenty20 Champions League for Dirk Nannes, the Australian fast bowler who is required by Victoria.

Smith was thought to have been recovering well from a broken ankle, but it is understood that he must face a fitness test next week before Middlesex will consider adding him to the squad, which flies out on October 19. If he travels, Middlesex will be taking a larger squad to Antigua than England. It is somewhat surprising that Middlesex made no mention of Smith in their press release.

Shaun Udal will lead the side in the tournament, with a prize of $400,000 (about £225,000) on offer if they beat Trinidad & Tobago, the West Indies' Twenty20 champions, on October 27.

There is a slim chance that the Stanford Super Series will not happen. Digicel, the sponsor of West Indies, and the Stanford organisers were facing arbitration in the High Court in London yesterday after a row over sponsorship. The case was being heard in private in the chambers of Mr Justice David Steel.

Azeem Rafiq, the 17-year-old off spinner whose ineligibility led to Yorkshire's expulsion from the Twenty20 Cup this summer, has signed a professional contract with the county until 2011. Rafiq, who was born in Pakistan, was schooled in Barnsley and captained England Under-17, but did not own a British passport. His application for citizenship is being processed.

The ICC World Cricket League Division 4 begins in Tanzania today as the long road to the 2011 World Cup continues. In addition to the hosts, Afghanistan, Jersey, Italy, Fiji and Hong Kong will compete. Hong Kong are coached by Aftab Habib, the former England batsman, whose side won the Asian Cricket Council Trophy for the first time this year.

In an interview with Times Online, Habib said that he hopes one day to become the first British-Asian coach of a first-class county.

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