Sussex Chief Executive Dave Gilbert says criticism by former England coach David Lloyd of county cricket's overseas recruitment policy is "complete rubbish."

Lloyd, speaking on Sky Sports last week, blasted clubs for 'scouring the world' to bring in flag of convenience players holding EU passports at the expense of home grown talent.

Three of them were on show at Hove during the Championship game last week: Sussex off-spinner Mark Davis and fellow South Africans Greg Smith and Kevin Pietersen who were recruited by Nottinghamshire during the winter. All qualify to play county cricket because they have a European Union passport as a result f English ancestry, in Davis's case his Sussex-born father.

But Lloyd believes their recruitment is sending out the wrong message to young English players. He said: "Bringing in players who are, to all intents and purposes, foreigners and who, in many cases are either ineligible to play for England or never likely to be good enough, sends out totally wrong signals.

"I've nothing against bona fide overseas players, because they help to improve standards and create extra interest in the English game. Central contracts for England's top players should be ideal for counties to bring through the under-19s and develop them into county cricketers and, who knows, England players of the future.

"Instead we've got these EU-passport types blocking their way."

Lloyd's view cuts little ice with Gilbert who believes more good quality verseas talent can only enhance the profile of Championship cricket.

"To be honest what David Lloyd has said is complete rubbish. Championship cricket needs as big a profile as it can get and if that means more players from overseas then fine.

"If you ask our batsmen they will tell you they enjoyed facing someone like Greg Smith last week, he is a quality performer. If more overseas players help sell the product then surely that has to be good. Youngsters will still get the chance if they are good enough, you only have to look at Matt Prior's development this season for proof of that."

With the international calender getting even busier, Gilbert can see counties employing two overseas players in future years even if one of them only plays for a few weeks while the star attraction is on duty for his country.

Somerset, who lose Andy Caddick and Marcus Trescothick to England for virtually the whole of the summer, have already sounded out other counties about doubling the overseas quota in future.

Gilbert added: "We are in the business of selling a product and I don't think too many members would mind if, for instance, we had Michael Bevan for most of next summer and Murray Goodwin available to us when Bev was playing for Australia.

"If your main player is unavailable you don't necessarily have to have someone at the top of the tree to replace him, you only have to look at the number of excellent Australians playing here this summer who are not in the Ashes party to know that you can still get a quality locum."