Hampshire wicketkeeper Nic Pothas expects to play Olympic hockey for Greece at Athens 2004.

Johannesburg-born Pothas played for Hampshire as a non overseas player last season, courtesy of his Greek passport.

The 29-year-old is currently concentrating on his business interests in South Africa, unable to play for Gauteng as his season at Hampshire means that he would have to represent his former club as an overseas player.

But the former South Africa one-day international, who has ambitions to play Test cricket for England, is planning to meet up with officials from the Hellenic Hockey Federation, the game's administrative body in Greece, to discuss his likely role in the side.

As host country, Greece qualify automatically for the Games and the Hellenic Hockey Federation have already begun a recruitment campaign to make the Greek side as competitive as possible.

The HHF has also started a ten-year plan in a bid to establish hockey as one of the country's major sports.

Pothas, nicknamed Zorba the Greek and Bubble, said: "I've already spoken to them and they want me to go across. I haven't had time to meet up with them yet but hockey is still a minority sport in Greece and there is every chance that I will play.

"Before I joined Hampshire I was playing provincial hockey and also played for South Africa's under-21 side before cricket took over.

"I play in the middle but I can sweep at the back as well and would still be playing to a good standard but for my cricket commitments.

"Nothing has been confirmed yet but it would be awesome to play in the Athens Olympics."

Pothas, who holidays in Greece each year, admits to being superstitious and last season he often had a Greek flag wrapped around his head, concealed by his Hampshire cap or his helmet.

"I'm more Greek than people think," he said. "I might not sound Greek but I am in the way I live. I had a typical Greek upbringing but, because of the school I went to (King Edward VII, Johannesburg), I ended up playing cricket in the summer.

"As a kid, when I wasn't playing sport in the afternoon, I went to a Greek school. My gran can't speak any English and we speak Greek at home all the time. We've always been seen as Greek, from the way we talk to the way we eat.

"My dad's as Greek as they come - he believes in working hard, not retiring too early and paying for everything in cash!"

The Athens Olympics take place for a fortnight in August 2004, 108 years since the first modern Olympics were staged in the Greek capital and more than 2,000 years since Greece gave birth to the Olympic celebration.

But, for the moment, Pothas, who has a year to run on his present contract, is preparing for his second season with Hampshire.

"At the moment I'm not playing any cricket, I'm working on my clothing manufacturing business and doing some homework by watching Shane Warne bowl in the Ashes," he said.

"I need to have a close look at what he's got up his sleeve if I'm going to be keeping wicket to him next season."