BATTING star Younis Khan is expected to team up with Yorkshire earlier than expected now that Pakistan are about to make a shock exit from the ICC World Cup in the West Indies.

And if Younis can arrive close to the start of the season then Yorkshire may decide not to call upon Australian left-hander Matthew Elliott, who has been signed as short-term cover for the Pakistani.

Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan yesterday spoke to Elliott about the situation and he also intends to contact Younis while Pakistan are still in the Caribbean.

Following their shock defeat at the hands of Ireland on Saturday, Pakistan cannot make it into the Super Eight stages of the competition and their final group game is against Zimbabwe in Jamaica tomorrow.

The players have also been stunned by the death on Sunday of their coach, Bob Woolmer, and they are expected to head for home at the earliest opportunity.

Younis was originally due to join up with Yorkshire on May 7 but Regan said that the player also intended to get married soon after the end of the World Cup.

"I want to ask Younis if he now has any plans to bring the wedding forward and also if he can tell us when he might be able to arrive at Headingley Carnegie," said Regan.

"I would like to think he can be here sooner than May 7 and I hope to be able to get a quick decision from him.

"I have already had a talk with Matthew Elliott and we will have to wait and see if he comes for a shorter period or not at all.

"Ireland's victory over Pakistan took everyone by surprise and we are trying to get our heads around the consequences of it."

Younis was out for a duck in the Ireland match and has been struggling to find his best form but Elliott has also been desperately out of touch in recent weeks and was dropped by his State side South Australia.

The signing of Younis on a one-year contract was made possible by funding from The Minority Ethnic Enterprise Network which is a business support network set up by entrepreneurs from the Asian Community.