CA scheme to bring Robson back into Australia fold Tug of war: Sydney-born Sam Robson is wanted by both England and Australia. Cricket Australia have devised a plan under which prolific Middlesex opener Sam Robson would be able to start this season with NSW in the Sheffield Shield and possibly even play against England this summer. The leading run scorer in the County Championship this year, the Sydney-born 24-year-old is the focus of an Ashes-themed tug of war, with officials working to have him return to the Australian system before he is swooped upon by Alastair Cook's England. A rule change governing the eligibility of players with dual passports in domestic competitions, to be discussed at a CA board meeting on Friday, must first be given the green light, but the path would then be clear for Robson to join NSW this year. There is significant interest from the Blues headquarters where Robson's father, Jim, works running the indoor centre at the SCG and where the batsman often trains when playing club cricket with Eastern Suburbs in summer. The plan would involve him featuring in the youth-focused national second XI competition - the Futures League - for NSW before the start of the domestic season, allowing him to audition for a call-up to the full state side for the first Shield match of the summer. In a twist, he could then play against Cook's Ashes-winning team, with NSW scheduled to take on England in a four-day match at the SCG from November 13, a week before the first Test in Brisbane. The operation to bring home Robson, who has 933 runs and three hundreds for Middlesex this season at an average of 62.06, is believed to have been in full swing only for the past fortnight after it was announced he had qualified to represent England on residency grounds a year earlier than expected. However, there is a wider agenda behind the involvement of NSW, whose new administration, headed by chairman John Warn and chief executive Andrew Jones, has made no secret of a goal to target the diaspora of players raised in the state and have them return to Sydney. It appears there is also strong interest in convincing former NSW batsmen Usman Khawaja and Phillip Hughes, who were disenchanted by the previous set-up and switched states, back to Driver Avenue. The acquisition by NSW of Nathan Lyon - born in Young and raised in Canberra - from South Australia was another move reflective of that ambition. Robson, whose mother was born in Nottingham, cannot be chosen for NSW yet because although born in Australia, he plays county cricket on a British passport. Speaking to Fairfax Media last month, he made it clear he did not want to give up his promising county career at Middlesex, where he has been based since the age of 18 and where he believes the 16 four-day matches a season best serve his development. He has played the limited-overs formats only occasionally, citing the longer form as his priority - rare for a young batsman in this day and age. But the change to the CA rules on the definition of an overseas player would potentially give Robson the best of both worlds. He would be able to remain as a local player in the county system but also feature for NSW and challenge for Australian selection during summer. It is understood CA general manager of team performance Pat Howard has been in touch with Robson about appearing in the Shield. CA regards Robson as a great talent and does not want to miss the boat and have him end up scoring runs against Australia. However, sources say it does not intend to fast-track him into the national side simply to ward off England.