Will Pucovski's chances of playing first-class County Cricket next season ahead of the Ashes have taken a blow but are not completely dead in the water.

Having missed selection for the first Domain Test against Sri Lanka in Brisbane Pucovski now has just one more Test – against Sri Lanka in Canberra next month – to play and automatically meet the requirements for a visa to play first-class cricket in the UK.

However, should Australia's selectors stick with the same top six currently facing Sri Lanka at the Gabba, there is another way for Pucovski to prepare for a potential Ashes series in the County Championship.

If Pucovski retains his place in the Test squad and is awarded a Cricket Australia central contract in April, the 20-year-old will then be eligible for a Tier 2 visa.

It is understood Pucovski’s team has not been approached by any County clubs.

CA central contracts are distributed in April, with the County Championship's opening round set to commence from April 5.

Australia's Ashes aspirants who can secure a County contract could have up to seven first-class matches before the Australia A squad assembles for two four-day matches, which run concurrently with the World Cup.

Australia's final hit-out before the first Ashes Test in Birmingham from August 1 takes place in Southampton, where Australia will face Australia A in a four-day fixture.

There are four ways to qualify for a visa to play first-class cricket in the UK, with point No.3 relating to Pucovski's situation.

As stated in the England and Wales Cricket Board's Governing Body Endorsement requirements: "The cricketer must be currently centrally contracted to the Cricket Board of the cricketer’s home country and in the current or most recent Test Match or One Day International or International Twenty20 team squad provided that the home country represented by the cricketer was a Full Member of the ICC."

For a professional sportsperson to obtain the UK's Tier 2 visa, they must be recognised by their sport's governing body as being at the highest level of their profession internationally, have that sport's governing body (in Pucovski's case, the ECB) endorse their application, develop the sport in the UK, be a visitor from outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland and meet the other eligibility requirements.