Middlesex upbeat over England duo

Middlesex are "very optimistic" that batsmen Andrew Strauss and Owais Shah will be available for next month's inaugural Champions League in India.

The pair are both in England's squad for the Test series against India.

England were reluctant to let them play because the Twenty20 event was so close to the start of the Test series, but their stance appears to have softened.

"We're getting very positive noises from the ECB", said Middlesex chief executive Vinny Codrington.

The lucrative event involving eight teams from around the world takes place from 3-10 December, with the final on the eve of the first Test between England and India in Ahmedabad.

With the winners set to earn $3m (£1.86m), Middlesex want to have two of their best batsmen available if at all possible - and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been in a co-operative mood.

"The ECB has been absolutely fabulous," Codrington told BBC Radio London 94.9.

"We've had a close dialogue with them throughout and we continue to do so with regard to them (Strauss and Shah).

"We are optimistic that they will be made available to us to play in the Champions League. It clearly depends on a number of things in the run-up to the first Test match - for example whether or not Owais would get in the first Test match squad.

"But we are very optimistic that they'll be made available to us if they're not required in the Test match.

"The ECB is very keen for us as English representatives to do very well in the competition so they've been very supportive. But we won't know for a while - at least until we get over there."

Australia, South Africa and India each have two teams in the competition with Middlesex and Pakistan's Sialkot Stallions making up the numbers.

There were originally two places on offer for England, but Kent, who were beaten by Middlesex in the Twenty20 Cup final, were refused entry because two of their players have appeared in the Indian Cricket League.