Hampshire have stunned the cricket world on the eve of the Friends Provident Trophy final by admitting that Shane Warne may qualify as a non-overseas player next year - through his German mother.

Warne will captain the Hampshire Hawks in tomorrow's Trophy final against the Durham Dynamos at Lord's but could be back next year as an EU-qualified player thanks to his mum Brigitte, who was born in Germany before moving to Australia when she was five.

Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove has been discussing the idea with Warne for seven months but first touted the idea in the build up to the Hawks' second Trophy final in three years.

He said: "It was originally meant as a bit of a laugh and a giggle to wind the England and Wales Cricket Board up but it seems to have grown legs as I've had phone calls from Australia about it already!

"Warney has already asked me where on earth that story came from."

Warne has one season left on his contract but next year the quota of overseas players will be reduced to one per county so, as things stand, he will not be able to play alongside the likes of Stuart Clark and Daren Powell from next year.

Hampshire have plenty of homegrown talent but Bransgrove admits that Warne may join teammates Nic Pothas and Sean Ervine as EU-qualified players (former Zimbabwe international Ervine has an Irish passport while Pothas, a former South Africa one-day player, has a Greek passport)if he and manager Pual Terry believe more overseas talent is needed.

Bransgrove added: "Warney won't be playing anymore Test match cricket so if we thought we needed a Stuart Clark or a Daren Powell next year we may do it.

"But we're also in a position where we want to consolidate with the young players we have coming through."

Read today's Daily Echo for the full preview of the Hampshire Hawks' Trophy final against the Durham Dynamos.