Harry Brook is set to make his return to competitive cricket when Yorkshire start their County Championship campaign at Gloucestershire next month.
Brook pulled out of the Indian Premier League earlier this month following the death of his grandmother, Pauline, in February.
The pair had shared a particularly close relationship and Brook withdrew from England’s Test tour of India at the start of the year in order to be at home during her illness.
The batter would have missed the first part of the County Championship season while on IPL duty with Delhi Capitals but instead will now be available for the early weeks of the campaign.
“Now that Brooky isn't going to the IPL, I suspect he's going to be available for us for the first few games, including [against] Leicestershire," Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson told the club’s website.
Brook has not played any competitive cricket since England’s white-ball tour of the West Indies in December but is expected to be a key part of the side that returns to the Caribbean for this summer’s T20 World Cup defence.
England’s only warm-up before flying to that tournament is a four-match series against Pakistan from mid-May.
Joe Root also opted out of this year’s IPL citing workload concerns, with Gibson suggesting too will turn out for his county in the early part of the red-ball season.
He added: “He [Brook] loves playing for us, and Rooty is also going to be available for some games in that early period. Having those two playing for us would be special."
