England Cricket Team Flag. Image Credits: AFP
Veteran England cricketer Samit Patel has decided to retire from domestic cricket after he was held up for playing in a banned league in India. The regulatory roadblock left the veteran with little choice.
Patel, 41, has played 60 matches for England from 2008 to 2015. He had a legendary county career with Nottinghamshire County Club, spanning over two decades.
In this time, Samit Patel scored 25,000+ runs and took 800+ wickets across formats. Moreover, he also played for Derbyshire County Club and in leagues like The Hundred.
Samit Patel retires from England domestic cricket
However, in a sudden turn of events, Samit Patel has decided to retire from domestic cricket at the age of 41, and his decision was triggered by a 12-month ban imposed by the ECB.
The sanction came after Patel featured in the World Legends Pro T20 League in Goa, classified as a “disapproved” competition under ECB regulations.
As per the rules, any player participating in such leagues becomes ineligible to play domestic cricket in England for a year.
Apart from Samit Patel, Australian cricketer Peter Siddle has also been sanctioned for the same reason, and he, too, won’t be able to register for the upcoming T20 Blast season.
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Samit accepts his fate
At 41, Samit Patel admitted the ban essentially ended his chances of continuing in England’s domestic circuit and that he might not have played that league if he had known the consequences clearly.
"I probably wouldn't have played it [the World Legends League]. There was a lot of uncertainty about whether we could play or not, but we can't get past that now. It just brought this stuff forward for me,” Patel told the BBC.
Patel was still in talks with county teams and likely had one more season left, but the ban forced an early decision.
"I would have played this summer. I had some chats with some counties, we weren't quite at a contract signing, but we were in talks, so probably would've got a last-minute deal somewhere,” he added.
That being said, Samit Patel has retired only from English domestic cricket, not fully from the sport. He will continue playing franchise cricket around the world, where ECB restrictions don’t apply.
Nottinghamshire pays tribute to Samit Patel
Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire acknowledged Samit Patel for his contribution to the County club, where he spent the last 22 years of his career. The club’s director, Mick Newell, praised Patel’s passion, loyalty and strong connection with fans.
“Samit’s achievements have quite rightly earned him a place not just in Nottinghamshire history, but in the affections of all who follow the domestic game. His ability to turn a game in his favour through his skill, talent and sheer will to win was remarkable. Add to that his passion for representing Nottinghamshire across 22 years, and it’s no surprise that he was, and remains, such a firm favourite with our members and supporters,” Newell said.
Even though Samit Patel didn’t become a big international star, he is still considered a giant of county cricket.
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