Ex-Aussie Pacer with 67 Tests Banned from County Cricket After Playing in Indian League in Goa

The England and Wales Cricket Board have imposed strict sanctions on two veteran cricketers ahead of the summer of domestic cricket, banning Peter Siddle and Samit Patel from county cricket. Both have been ruled out for the whole summer due to their participation in World Legends Pro T20 League in Goa earlier this year.

Cricket leagues in the country must now obtain a permit for the playing of "disapproved cricket". Players who play in such a league are now excluded from playing county cricket for 12 months from the beginning of the summer, meaning the T20 Blast will be missed by both Siddle and Patel.

The experienced Australian fast bowler was signed to a Nottinghamshire deal as the overseas for the T20 Blast but Nottinghamshire have confirmed this deal is now off and that they will attempt to source a new overseas player.

Unsanctioned League ban on county stars

The primary reason for the sanction is due to the lack of permit from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, for which the league in Goa obtained no permission. As there was no permit the ECB regards such tournaments as unofficial and therefore a player who plays in them cannot participate in the ECB's organized competitions for a year.

This means that the pair are free from the ECB's rules and the rule on how many county cricket seasons an overseas player can have playing in England will also not apply, which does mean that there can be no overseas signing from abroad at the end of their first summer's stint of county cricket.

Mick Newell director of cricket at Nottinghamshire expressed that the club are "disappointed with the circumstances" and "will be looking to recruit another overseas player". Both Siddle and Patel are important T20 players to county cricket and it's departure will be an unfortunate blow for them both, though the ECB have clearly drawn a line with these actions.