JASON Swift believes a number of current Bangladeshi internationals will come to play league cricket in Bolton and throughout Lancashire in the coming summers after finishing a two-year spell as their assistant coach.

The Australian recently returned to the North West, where he has been a permanent resident since 2004, after working under former Lancashire batsman Stuart Law during his first international assignment, and took four wickets for Farnworth in their defeat against Little Lever.

A prolific left-handed batsman during his time with five Bolton League clubs, Swift has only played a handful of games at weekends since leaving his job as Lancashire’s video analyst and fielding coach midway through 2011 to move to the sub-continent, where he forged good relationships with some of the country’s brightest talents.

“There’s some good quality young players over there who would thrive on coming over here to get away from just playing on the sub-continental surfaces,” he said. “They’d grow as cricketers and as people outside their own environment.

“I’ve spoken to a few of them, and there are a half dozen to a dozen who are keen to come and play league cricket over here.

“It’s probably too late for this year unless somebody gets injured. It’s more likely next. The availability of the Bangladeshis in terms of the international calendar comes into it as well.

“It’s less likely to be a Tamim Iqbal because he’s probably looking more at the county scene, but you’re probably looking now at somebody who’s played Test cricket without being a household name outside Bangladesh.”

Swift’s participation in the Bolton League this season was in doubt because, despite holding UK residency, he had been living in Bangladesh. The ECB, however, passed the case back to the Bolton League, who are satisfied he meets the necessary criteria to play as an amateur.

The 42-year-old, whose 226 not out for Walkden against Farnworth in 2005 is still a Hamer Cup record, does not expect to be available for every Farnworth game because he is exploring other work opportunities. He is currently coaching at Bolton School.