Peter Siddle to miss T20 Blast after playing in an unsanctioned league - Reports
Peter Siddle's unsanctioned league appearance costs him T20 Blast spot
Former Australia seamer Siddle was set for a stint at Nottinghamshire later in the summer for the Blast, but will now not be allowed to play cricket in England for six months, as per the Daily Mail.
Siddle played in the World Legends Pro T20 League, which took place in Goa, India, earlier this year. His teammates at Maharashtra Tycoons included former England captain Alastair Cook, as well as Chris Gayle and Dale Steyn.
Under ICC regulations, anyone who plays or coaches in 'disapproved' tournaments, which include the league in Goa, can face a suspension of between six and 12 months. Not all boards enforce the ICC's policy, which is why Siddle is currently still able to play for Multan Sultans in the PSL, and will likely not face suspension from domestic cricket in Australia. However, the ECB does enforce the ICC's policy regarding unsanctioned leagues, hence Siddle's Nottinghamshire stint has been cancelled.
In a statement released on Tuesday (April 21), Nottinghamshire announced that Siddle had pulled out of his stint due to personal circumstances. "We're naturally disappointed that Peter won't be able to join us this summer, as we were looking forward to having a player of his calibre and experience as part of our T20 squad," said Nottinghamshire director of cricket, Mick Newell. "We'll now focus our efforts on securing the services of a replacement for this summer's competition."
What is the World Legends Pro T20 League?
The league that Siddle played in is a tournament which broadly features retired or older prominent international players. As well as Siddle, Stuart Broad also featured in the tournament, as did Harbhajan Singh.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke is the chairman of the league, which was won by Dubai Royals in a dominant performance in the final in February earlier this year. Shane Watson, Martin Guptil and Upul Tharanga all scored half-centuries, while Shikhar Dhawan and Manvinder Bisla led the chase.
