The next generation of Sussex batsmen will get the chance to replace departing opener Ian Ward.

Cricket manager Mark Robinson said today that the county had no plans to recruit a direct replacement for Ward, who has retired with two years of his contract remaining to take up a full-time job presenting Sky Sports' cricket coverage.

Instead, Carl Hopkinson, who stood in during the second half of last season when Ward was injured, Chris Nash, Sean Heather and Neil Turk will be battling for a first-team spot.

Ward's massive experience - he played five Tests in a career spanning more than a decade - will undoubtedly be missed but Robinson clearly believes his quartet of young guns are capable of making the breakthrough in the same way as Mike Yardy.

"Even without Wardy we could still field a top six containing five capped players, three of whom have played Test cricket and another guy in Yards who is with the Academy this winter.

"He will be hard to replace and we reserve the right to change our plans but replacing Wardy is not on our agenda as it stands.

"The message is that we are backing our youngsters and this is the time to bring one of them in. We feel that the four guys mentioned are all capable of coming into the top six and we have lots of options in terms of who actually opens.

"Murray and Richard Montgomerie was arguably our best opening partnership in the last five years, Yards has done it before and Hoppo came in and impressed a lot of people when Wardy was injured."

Hopkinson would appear to be in pole position after playing six games in the second half of last season when he scored two half-centuries.

Hopkinson will spend two weeks at the World Cricket Academy in Mumbai in January working on various aspects of his game, particularly his technique against spin bowling.

All four will get ample opportunity to impress next pre-season when Prior and Yardy will still be on international duty and Goodwin not yet back from Australia.

Robinson has been planning for the possibility that Ward would retire since the end of the season and he used the situation to try to keep Tim Ambrose at Hove.

He said: "Tim knew that there was a chance that there would be a slot as a batter available but he wants to keep wicket. That's the only reason why he left to join Warwickshire."

The money saved on Ward's wages will also help Sussex recruit a high-quality second overseas player if, as seems likely, Rana Naved is selected for Pakistan's tour of England which is due to start next June.

Sussex are still planning some close-season recruitment. Seam bowler Tim Linley, who took 13 wickets in five second XI appearances this season, is expected to sign a one-year contract in the next few days.

The 23-year-old has first-class experience with Oxford UCCE and Robinson likens his style to that of former Sussex bowler Billy Taylor.

"He's a bit of a late developer but I think he could play now," he said. "He's hard-working and hits the pitch hard. I would compare him to someone like Alan Richardson of Middlesex. He won't blast batsmen out but his action is very repeatable."

Robinson also revealed that Sussex are close to signing a back-up wicketkeeper-batsman for Prior, who flew out to Pakistan on his first England tour yesterday.