Nottingham, Sep 6 (IANS) Nottinghamshire’s push for winning the ongoing County Championship has suffered a setback after wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne was recalled early by Cricket South Africa, thus ruling him out of the final three matches of the season.
Verreynne, 29, currently in his third spell with the club, had originally signed to feature in all of Nottinghamshire’s red-ball fixtures this summer. But central contract obligations take precedence ahead of South Africa’s upcoming three-game home Test series against Australia.
“I think I’ve said it so many times, the club’s got a really special place. It’s got a special place to me, so I’ll be watching closely. Like I said, the team’s in a good position at the moment, playing some really good cricket. I think it’s going to be quite an exciting run-in, so I’ll be keeping a close eye,” Verreynne said in a video posted by the franchise on their social media accounts on Sunday.
Nottinghamshire sit four points behind leaders Somerset and one point ahead of third-placed Warwickshire with three rounds remaining. The recall leaves second-placed Nottinghamshire without their frontline wicketkeeper for crucial fixtures against Hampshire, Sussex, and Yorkshire as they chase leaders Somerset. Verreynne’s final appearance of the summer will come against Leicestershire at Trent Bridge.
South Africa’s early recall affects several players across the county circuit ahead of their series against Australia. Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell expressed frustration at the timing while acknowledging the CSA’s contractual rights.
“It’s not ideal that we’re losing Kyle at this point in the season, but we understand the decision made by Cricket South Africa, and he returns with our best wishes for a busy winter.
“We’ve been very happy to have Kyle with us for most of the summer, during which his contributions have put us in a strong position as we head towards the final few matches.
“There’s always a lot of hard work being done behind the scenes to make sure we’re prepared for every outcome, and we hope to confirm a replacement for Kyle as soon as we’re able to.”
–IANS
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