The postponement of the ICC Champions Trophy has left Peter Moores, the England head coach, with a delicate decision to make over the availability of leading players for their counties for the rest of the season. Lancashire expect that Andrew Flintoff will ask Moores if he can play in their remaining LV County Championship matches, but Paul Collingwood has suggested that the postponement offers the chance for players to have a much-needed break.

The ECB will announce the availability of its one-day players after the final game of the NatWest Series against South Africa in Cardiff a week tomorrow. If the Champions Trophy had taken place as planned in Pakistan, from September 12 to 28, the England squad would have missed the rest of the county season.

“In Fred's case, he's not had a lot of matches since coming back from injury and I think he'll want to come back and play a bit more cricket for us,” Jim Cumbes, the Lancashire chief executive, said.

The issue of player availability after the NatWest Series will be sensitive given the congested nature of the first division, in which every county could yet win the title or be relegated. The Champions Trophy postponement should benefit Nottinghamshire, who expect to welcome back Samit Patel and Graeme Swann, although Stuart Broad could be ordered to rest. Lancashire await verdicts on James Anderson as well as Flintoff, while Durham now hope to have Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies batsman, along with Stephen Harmison, although Collingwood may prefer to rest.

“Over the last couple of years we've never had the chance to have a good break and [this] might be the perfect opportunity to have a big rest,” Collingwood said. “Of course I want Durham to win the title, but you've got to look at the bigger picture.”