Nic Pothas is preparing for one of the toughest challenges in world cricket - keeping wicket to Shane Warne.

Before Warne's return to the county this week, the closest Hampshire's gloveman had got to studying the leg spinner's box of tricks was on television.

But Pothas, left, will learn fast against the Flipper, the Slider and the Zooter - and any other delivery that his captain may unleash this summer.

He said: "I've got a responsibility to the team to learn to how to keep to Warney.

"We've practised together but the guy's genius, it's not easy to read him because he's got a shedload of deliveries, probably about seven or eight.

"I'm not picking them all at the moment but hopefully it's just a matter of time until I get better.

"We've had chats about it and he's told me what to look for, which is far more helpful than watching him on the television.

"I watched him bowl as closely as I could during the last Ashes series but you can only get so much information from the TV because you're not able to ask questions about what he was trying to do with the ball.

"When Warney intends to bowl a leggie he will almost always bowl a leggie but there might be times when he tries something different and it doesn't come off, so I learn a lot quicker when we practise together."

Pothas's toughest wicketkeeping test to date was playing for South Africa A with Paul Adams, who bowls his left-arm chinamen with an unorthodox action once likened to 'a frog in a blender'.

But he reckons Warne will provide a far tougher test.

He added: "Paul Adams is usually more blatant in what he is going to bowl and is not nearly as consistent as Warney, who puts the ball on the spot all the time.

"What makes it so hard for batsmen is not just Warney's consistency, it's the fact he can bowl a different delivery without any change in his action, but Paul Adams tends to give signals in his approach."

Pothas has Berkshire-based teenager Tom Burrows as his understudy this summer following the release of Iain Brunnschweiler at the end of last season.

Academy product Burrows is an exciting prospect who kept wicket for Hampshire as 12th man two seasons ago.

Last season's Southern League Young Cricketer of the Year spent the winter at Paul Terry's AusCricket academy in Perth and has also been coached by former Hampshire gloveman Adie Aymes.