SURREY chairman David Stewart has revealed that the county are looking into the possibility of entering overseas competitions in the winter months.

The Lions squad are contracted all year now and Stewart would like to see them compete in Twenty20 competitions around the globe outside of the traditional English season.

He said: "Our players are on 12 month contracts and to get real value out of that we could have a Surrey side playing abroad in competitions in the winter months.

"There are complications but it is definitely something that we would be interested in."

The issue of Twenty20 cricket is still a major consideration for counties with Surrey keen to see a version of the Indian Premier League set up in England.

Paul Sheldon, Surrey's chief executive, has been to India looking to forge alliances with IPL franchises.

He said: "We need to replicate the excitement of the Indian League in England. It isn't our intention to sell our soul to an IPL franchise but it is about making sure we are at the top table when the crunch comes."