Middlesex Hopeful Over England Duo
Strauss - in the Test squad.
Middlesex are "very optimistic" about having batsmen Andrew Strauss and Owais Shah available for the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League in India next month.
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.
It was initially thought the ECB would refuse to release the pair to represent their club in the lucrative Twenty20 competition, but the county's chief executive, Vinny Codrington, is hopeful.
He stressed, however, that both Shah's and Strauss' availability would depend on their inclusion in the squad for the first Test.
"The ECB have been absolutely fabulous," said Codrington. "We've had a close dialogue with them throughout and we continue to do so with regard to them (Strauss and Shah).
"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.
"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 tomorrow 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."
Middlesex made contingency plans for Strauss' predicted absence, signing Neil Dexter, but have been hamstrung by the Champions League organisers' desire for clubs to field the same side which won their domestic competition.
"We didn't think we'd have Andrew and therefore we wanted Neil Dexter to replace him," said Codrington. "We appealed to the technical committee and they've rejected it.
"They are very keen that the side that goes to the competition is the same side that represented us in the domestic competition."
Despite an inauspicious showing in the Stanford Super Series in Antigua last month, Middlesex captain Shaun Udal is upbeat about his side's chances in India.
"We're the best side in this country at this form of cricket and with the squad we're taking I can't see any reason why we can't go there and perform very, very well," said the spinner.
"It's been well documented that the conditions for us are going to be new, but they're going to be new for the Australians and the South Africans and to a certain extend the Pakistan side too.
"The IPL sides have got a distinct advantage in that they've got four overseas players and are used to the conditions so they're obviously favourites.
"But there's no reason why we can't do well."
Coach Toby Radford added: "It's going to be a great spectacle and it's fantastic to be involved. It's a great opportunity for our young cricketers to showcase their talent."