MIKE WATKINSON would be happy to see a Lancashire team largely composed of home-grown cricketers take on counties whose line-ups may feature a substantial contingent of Kolpak players.

The Old Trafford manager, who looks set to be confirmed as the county’s new director of cricket, signed 10 of the most promising talents at the club on fresh deals in September and also helped to take the difficult decisions to release Dominic Cork and Stuart Law.

He did so in the firm belief that the young men must be given space to develop and opportunity to excel. While, in 2009, the final decision on such matters is likely to be a matter for the newly-appointed first team coach, Watkinson is ready for his “home-grown” plan to be put into action.

“It was immensely satisfying and something I would have liked to do earlier,” said Watkinson. “But with the implications contracts have for other people, it was not all plain sailing.

“However, with the way squads are structured, I thought it would be a real solid message of what we are about – developing our own players, not to play all 10 at once, but to identify 10 who have different strengths. It was a demonstration that we weren’t going to sign six or seven Kolpaks, but instead we were going to take our own youngsters and put them up against other sides’ overseas products.”