DURHAM have waved a less-than-tearful farewell to Shoaib Akhtar and will not be inviting him back next season.

After insisting all along that he would be not be taking part in the Asia Cup, the Pakistani paceman received a call late on Wednesday night from his country's new coach, Bob Woolmer, asking him to play in the event.

"He has gone and he won't be coming back," said Durham coach Martyn Moxon. "When Bob Woolmer came to see Shoaib at Taunton on Sunday I was concerned, but we were still told that he would only be required for the ICC Champions Trophy and that he would be going in mid-August.

"We had a replacement lined up who will not be needed by his country for the ICC event, but he's not available at the moment."

It is believed that replacement is on the verge of a Test debut for either Australia or South Africa.

In the meantime Durham are now trying to find another replacement for the next month and spoke yesterday to a player who has promised an answer today.

Shoaib has played in only two of Durham's nine championship matches this season and considering his lifestyle it is hardly surprising that he suffers injury and illness. He couldn't even trouble the Scots this season and his one for 65 in nine overs in Wednesday night's defeat at Hove was an appropriate note on which to bow out.

His Durham career started in the final Twenty20 Cup match of last season at Old Trafford, and as they start this season's campaign at Trent Bridge tonight Durham plan to rely more on spin.

"That was one of the lessons we learnt from last season," said Moxon. "Unfortunately the pitch we're going to play on at Trent Bridge is close to one side, so there's a short boundary, which doesn't help the spinners.

"But we're planning to play Graeme Bridge and Phil Mustard has also joined the squad."

Mustard opened the innings with Nicky Peng in last season's competition, but Peng has been ruled out this time as he will be out for three weeks with his shoulder injury. Durham won the opening match last year at home to Nottinghamshire, when they passed the visitors' 157 for seven with four wickets down and five balls to spare, but lost the remaining four games. A 55-run thrashing by Yorkshire, who amassed 198 for four at Headingley, effectively ended Durham's hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals but their last two games were close.

They lost by six runs at Derby, where Gary Pratt made their top score in the competition of 62 not out, and by four runs at Old Trafford, where Mustard hit 61.

The matches are being played almost three weeks later this season, despite the good weather they enjoyed from June 13-23.

Avoiding a clash with the bulk of Euro 2004 has helped ticket sales and good crowds are expected everywhere for an event which has captured public imagination.

Most games are again starting at 5.30 with a scheduled finishing time of 8.15, but Durham have opted for a 6pm start in their three home games against Lancashire next Friday, Derbyshire (July 13) and Yorkshire (July 15). Their other match is at Grace Road, Leicester, next Wednesday.

Quarter-finals, for which a draw will be made, have been introduced this season so that the top two from each group go through, while the semi-finals and final are at Edgbaston on Saturday, August 7.

Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), M J North, G R Breese, P Mustard, G J Pratt, G J Muchall, A Pratt, I Pattison, G D Bridge, N Killeen, M Davies, G Onions.

* Durham's first Twenty20 home game against Lancashire Lightning has already sold out.

The July 9 fixture is the first domestic game at the Riverside to have sold out in advance.

* Wicketkeeper-batsman, Ismail Dawood, has come through his trial with Yorkshire with flying colours, and will make his first team debut today in the opening Twenty-20 Cup match against Derbyshire at Derby.

Dawood, 28 this month, will also play for Yorkshire tomorrow in their one-day game against Sri Lanka A at Headingley and then in their top-of-the-table clash with Middlesex Crusaders in the totesport League at Headingley on Sunday. The selection of Dawood will disappoint Darlington-based Simon Guy who now faces a spell in the second team to see if he can improve his form both with the bat and behind then stumps.

Yorkshire (from): Jaques, Lumb, Craven, Wood, Gale, Gray, Dawson, Dawood, Bresnan, Silverwood, Hoggard, Blain, Kirby.

Yorkshire (v Sri Lanka A and Middlesex Crusaders) from: Taylor, Gale, Craven, Jaques, Wood, Lumb, Gray, Dawood, Dawson, Bresnan, Silverwood, Kirby, Hoggard (Sunday only).

Read more about Durham County Cricket Club here.