IF I was in charge of Sussex I would not be putting out my best team against Pakistan.

It's a tough dilemma, facing the tourists at this stage of the season.

Do you put out a really strong side and make a proper game of it, which the people who buy their ticket want to see?

Or do you take the opportunity to rest a few key players who might need that break?

I remember being involved in a similar situation when I was captaining Sussex. I was dead on my feet after so much cricket when we had a three-day fixture against India sandwiched in-between two county games.

The chief executive and chairman got involved, suggesting we had to put out the strongest side we could. In the end I didn't play, which was the right thing for me.

When Australia came to town you all wanted to play, but would I want to waste Magoffin overs against Pakistan? No way.

Looking at that second division table, if Sussex win a couple of games they are right back in it, even though they haven't played anywhere near good enough cricket to be there.

The priority surely has to be they do what's right to win their next Championship fixture.

The match against Pakistan is also an opportunity for somebody to make a name for themselves, to do an Ollie Rayner.

He smashed a hundred against Sri Lanka at a time when nobody could cope with Malinga's bowling.

It was Ollie's first class debut and he became the first Sussex player to hit a ton in those circumstances for 86 years.

If Sussex had a player close to England selection then, of course, they would want to play to press their claims for the forthcoming Test series.

I found myself in that situation - to my cost - for Derbyshire against the star-studded Australian team in the 1990's.

I had been talked up in terms of a call-up, which prompted lots of verbals from the Waugh brothers and company.

I'd only scored a few runs when I got a short ball from Shane Warne. He was appealing to the umpire, Vanburn Holder, before I'd even grazed it with my bat for four.

Vanburn had given me out and said he couldn't change his decision. I was goaded by the Aussies, I responded and it caused a bit of a scene, all on Sky TV.

When I got back to the changing room I threw my bat for the only time in my career towards the coffin and it dented on one of the metal edges.

To top it all, I ended up with a fine from the ECB for my behaviour. These matches against the tourists are more trouble than they are worth!