Nottinghamshire defends signing Oz opener Cowan ahead of Ashes

Sydney: English county side Nottinghamshire has defended their decision to sign Australian opener Ed Cowan ahead of crucial Ashes this year.

Cowan will link up with the side next month for its first seven County Championship matches and eight limited-overs games. The stint should allow him to acclimatize to English conditions before the Ashes starts at Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire`s home ground, on July 10. Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell said Cowan`s recruitment might not be perfect from England`s perspective but its good for their team. Newell added he could understand if England board is not that thrilled about it but he was looking for a good-quality opening batsman, adding the Indian Premier League (IPL) is on and a lot of good-quality opening batsmen are in the IPL. ANI