CRICKET Australia's belief that fast bowler Billy Stanlake can cut it as a test player has caused him to pull out of his Vitality T20 Blast deal with Yorkshire.

The injury-prone pace bowler, who has only played two first-class games since November 2015, fractured a finger playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, and only began bowling in the nets again last Friday.

However, Yorkshire were hoping that he would play a full part in their T20 team, whose fixtures range over July and August.

Instead, after playing for his country next month in five one-day internationals and one T20 match in England, under new head coach Justin Langer, the centrally-contracted Stanlake who has also suffered back injuries and an infected toe, will prepare for the new Australian season with Queensland Bulls.

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting also believes in Stanlake as a potential test player, saying that he "could be one of the all-time great fast bowlers".

A disconsolate Yorkshire's director of cricket Martyn Moxon said: "Cricket Australia have got in touch and decided on a different strategy for Billy Stanlake.

"Now the new Australia coach is in place, they want him to play some different cricket to T20 during the period that he was due to be with us.

"Consequently, they've pulled him out of our deal, which is obviously very disappointing for us.

"We're not the only county, it would appear, who have been affected by this.

"We'll assess the situation as to whether we go for a replacement or not. We may choose to stick with our own players."

Stanlake was due to play 12 matches for Yorkshire, after missing the opening two matches due to Australian commitments.