Days after being banned from the T20 Blast, former England allrounder Samit Patel has announced he won’t feature in domestic cricket anymore. Patel was banned because he participated in the World Legends Pro League earlier this year in Goa, and the league didn’t have the approval of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
As per the England and Wales Cricket Board’s guidelines, they can’t have such a cricketer playing in their domestic cricket for six months. Former Australia pacer Peter Siddle, who played 67 Tests, was banned for a similar reason.
“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.
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“I’m calling time on my domestic career, but I’ll never walk away from cricket. I’m looking forward to taking my next steps in coaching, mentoring and commentating.
“The game has given me so much; I’ve made friends for life, and the memories of travelling the world and winning trophies will stay with me forever,” chad.co.uk reported Patel as saying on Friday.
What a fantastic journey Patel has had!
Patel represented Nottinghamshire in county cricket with distinction for over two decades. He did very well for them across formats. Their director of cricket Mick Newell acknowledged the 41-year-old’s contribution over the years.
“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.
“We wish him all the best as his time in the English domestic game comes to a close, and look forward to seeing the next chapter of his career unfold,” he said.
Patel also represented Derbyshire, but not for long. The left-arm spinner represented England in 6 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 18 T20Is, but failed to translate his domestic success into international success. His last appearance for England came in 2015, in a Test match against Pakistan in Sharjah.
“In 2021, he became the fifth man, and first English player, to do the T20 double of taking 250 wickets and scoring 5,000 runs – and in 2022 he played a leading part in Trent Rockets’ men winning The Hundred,” chad.co.uk wrote.
