WORCESTERSHIRE director of cricket Steve Rhodes admits he’s disappointed with some of Glamorgan’s “inclusions” for the new campaign.

The New Road chief believes Glamorgan should be trying to uncover cricketing talent in Wales rather than looking for players overseas.

And Rhodes believes the county clubs should be working towards producing players for the England national squads.

Worcestershire open their new Specsavers County Championship Division Two season against Glamorgan at the SWALEC Stadium on Friday (11am).

Glamorgan finished second from bottom last season and crashed to an innings and 22-run defeat at Northamptonshire in their opener this term within two days.

But they sealed a surprise five-wicket triumph in the Championship at New Road last August.

Rhodes said: “I expect a tough game from Glamorgan but I think some of their inclusions, moving away from the boys from the valleys, is disappointing.

“Their attack could be an Australian in Michael Hogan, a South African in Marchant de Lange and Craig Meschede who was born in South Africa and raised here.

“Timm van der Gugten is playing on a Dutch passport and there is also Graham Wagg so it could predominantly be an overseas attack.

“I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing for English cricket.

“That’s what Glamorgan have done to get better results. I think they will prove to be very difficult over the four days.”

Wagg, van der Gugten and Hogan did not feature in the Welsh outfit’s opening Championship match.

But Glamorgan picked Harry Podmore, who joined on loan from Middlesex, Carmarthen-born teenager Lukas Carey and Cardiff-born off-spinner Kiran Carlson.

Rhodes said: “I’d never say we are not going to do it at Worcester.

“All of a sudden you may get a cracker-jack player who is worth the effort and money to bring to Worcester and that might be the right thing.

“That could be a real bonus to Worcestershire and county cricket but surely it’s about producing English-qualified players people like James Whittaker, the chairman of selectors, can pick.”

Rhodes added: “Sadly a lot of these guys are going to be taking up major positions but Whittaker, Mick Newell and Angus Fraser can’t pick them for England because they are not English-qualified.”