Sussex are looking at a like-for-like replacement if they lose Mushtaq Ahmed for the rest of the season.

Imran Tahir, a 27-year-old leg-spinner who has county experience with Middlesex, will play against Kent at Horsham in the Second XI trophy today.

Sussex could know as early as Wednesday whether Mushtaq will be called into Pakistan's squad when they arrive in England for a tour which includes four Tests and five one-day internationals.

It might depend on whether Sussex team-mate Rana Naved has made sufficient recovery from the groin injury he suffered last month.

Naved saw a specialist in London last week and is confident he will be fit for part of the tour, although his participation in the first Test at Lord's on July 13 is in doubt.

Pakistan captain Inzaman ul-Haq hinted before the team left Karachi yesterday that he views Mushtaq as his first choice replacement if Rana is struggling to play any meaningful part in the tour. The other option is left-arm paceman Samiullah Niazi.

Tahir has a decent first-class record with 203 wickets at 26.09 in 56 matches. He has played for Pakistan A and once got Matt Prior out in a match in Lahore in 2004. He is currently playing league cricket in Staffordshire.

Sussex cricket manager Mark Robinson said: "It's a case of keeping our options open at the moment. Mushy knows Tahir and has recommended that we have a look at him. But as for Mushy going away with Pakistan we have not heard anything more."

Mushtaq was one of several big names missing as Sussex finished their C&G Trophy campaign on a disappointing note when they lost by two runs to Gloucestershire at Arundel yesterday when neither side could muster 100 runs.

The county also rested skipper Chris Adams and Murray Goodwin while the visitors were even weaker with Ian Harvey, Hamish Marshall, Craig Spearman and Jon Lewis - all internationals - putting their feet up.

In Adams' absence acting skipper Matt Prior had an easy decision when he won the toss. Batting was already going to be difficult in clammy, overcast conditions conducive to swing but, as Sussex also discovered, a pitch which had far too much live grass on it made life even more hazardous.

It was a good job, therefore, that they had already qualified for the final. The repercussions had they needed to win and been presented with such a poor surface do not bear thinking about.

Chasing just 99, the county were bowled out for 96 inside 18 overs with only Robin Martin-Jenkins, who top-scored with 20, and Ollie Rayner getting into double figures.

Carl Greenidge and James Averis combined to share the first eight wickets. When a couple of back-up bowlers prove virtually unplayable then something has to be awry.

Given the counter-attractions of England's World Cup match and old Reg Dwight tinkling the ivories back at Hove, there was a decent crowd and at least it was all over long before kick-off in Stuttgart. But they should have got more value for their money.

Meanwhile, Sussex must hope the Arundel groundsman finds the keys to his mower before tomorrow's Twenty20 opener against Hampshire which will be played on the same wicket.

In fact, they should insist on it. A crowd of about 5,000 is expected and they are entitled to see the ball flying to the boundary a bit more than it did yesterday.