Vaughan's fears as Kolpak row grows

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Kolpaks are players from South Africa and the Caribbean who cannot be picked by England but are not classed as overseas signings, which are restricted to one per team, because of associate trade agreements.

The ruling was named after a Slovakian handball player - Maros Kolpak - who won the right to play volleyball in Germany in 2002.

The number of Kolpak players in county cricket has grown from 38 last year to 60 this season and the ECB fear the invasion is now threatening to stem the flow of home-grown talent to the national side, as has happened in football, and have warned the counties that Sport England might stop funding their academies if graduates are not getting a crack at a first-team place.

Vaughan, who today leads England into the Third Test against New Zealand, said: "I am slightly concerned. There are a number who are obviously taking over a couple of teams.

"But I can only speak from my experience at Yorkshire. We have two very good ones in Jacques Rudolph and Deon Kruis who have added a lot to the team.

"As much as they [Kolpaks] can be a negative there are a lot out of there who have improved the standard - and improved the training and the way teams prepare for games. A lot of our youngsters at Yorkshire look up to those two players.

"Looking around the whole circuit there appears to be quite a few who aren't doing that. That's my biggest concern. If they are coming in and improving the standard, training in the right fashion, it can only be a good thing. But if they are not doing that, and taking up places..."

The ECB are hoping that the Kolpak loophole could be slammed shut by impending European Union legislation.

However, there are those who agrue the Kolpak system has improved the standard of the county game.

Surrey's Barbadian Kolpak Pedro Collins said: "People shouldn't see us as a threat. There are some very talented English youngsters and I cannot see anything stopping them from coming through."