Middlesex are optimistic about having Andrew Strauss and Owais Shah available for the Champions League Twenty20.

Shah is already in India with England for the one-day internationals and Strauss flew out on Friday ahead of the Test series which starts on December 11, but it was initially thought the ECB would refuse to release the pair to represent their club in the lucrative Twenty20 competition.

However, the county's chief executive Vinny Codrington is hopeful and said: "We are optimistic that they will be made available to us to play in the Champions League. It clearly depends on a number of things in the run-up to the first Test match - for example whether or not Owais would get in the first Test match squad."

He added: "The ECB have been absolutely fabulous. We've had a close dialogue with them throughout and we continue to do so with regard to them (Strauss and Shah).

"But we are very optimistic that they'll be made available to us if they're not required in the Test match.

"The ECB are very keen for us as English representatives to do very well in the competition so they've been very supportive.

"We won't know for a while - at least until we get over there - but we're getting very positive noises from the ECB about us having those two available."

Codrington added: "Andrew is meeting the England management on Saturday to discuss it.

"From our point of view he's a centrally contracted player anyway but we would not wish to stand in the way of either player's desire to play for England.

"Owais has had very positive conversations with (England coach) Peter Moores this week and should he not be required for the warm-up game he will be flying down to meet us."