Sussex coach Mark Robinson has conceded that the role of overseas player next season might involve a job share.

The county have been in touch with Pakistan pair Rana Naved and Yasir Arafat, who shared the duties last season, about their availability for 2011.

But no decision is imminent and is likely to be delayed until after the Indian Premier League auction at the end of January.

That is when Robinson, and other county coaches, will have a stronger indication as to which overseas players are available and for how long.

Rana was an instant hit when he returned to the county at the start of last season, taking 20 wickets in five Championship matches to help Sussex win their first four games and set up their immediate return to Division One.

Arafat returned in June after recovering from injury but struggled to make much impact until the end of the summer when he claimed 21 of his 36 Championship wickets in the last four games.

Robinson said: “The overseas situation is very hard to clarify at the moment. There is the IPL draft then a World Cup followed by the IPL itself.

“But as well as availability of the type of player you want you have to ask, with the schedule as packed as it was last year, whether you can expect your overseas to produce the high level of performance you expect through the whole summer?”

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