Symonds, 21, the dual-qualified batsman currently playing for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield, is due to represent Australia A in a limited-overs game against Walsh's West Indies team at Melbourne on Friday.

If he does, he will effectively disqualify himself from playing for Gloucestershire and his decision would ease the resentment around the county circuit caused by his rejection of an England A tour opportunity last year.

According to international regulations any appearance at national level, from under-17 upwards, would render a player ineligible for any other Test country for four years, which would change Symonds's status to an overseas registration at Gloucestershire.

With Walsh as the county's overseas man for at least the next two years, Gloucestershire would be unable to retain Symonds. Philip August, club chief executive, telephoned Walsh in Australia yes- terday. He said: ``I explained the situation to him vis-'vis An- drew, and Courtney will be putting the Gloucestershire viewpoint.

``I would like to think he sees he has a future in English cricket and I'd be personally disappointed - and the club would be disappointed - if he turns his back on us, having given us those assurances, as he did do, that he regarded himself as English.''

Symonds, who was born in Birmingham but was taken to Australia by his parents at the age of 18 months, signed a three-year contract with Gloucestershire early this year, but that depended on his eligibility for England.

Unsettled Derbyshire batsman Chris Adams has threatened to invoke the Treaty of Rome to buy himself out of the remaining two years of his five-year contract after the club's refusal of his offer of #50,000 - equivalent of two years' pay - for his release.

However, Adams may be frustrated in his freedom bid. A European law expert said yesterday that an employee had no legal right to buy himself out of a reasonable contract without the employers' consent.