Former England all-rounder Samit Patel will be leaving County club Nottinghamshire after serving tit for more than two decades of his career.
Notably, Patel has not been offered a contract by the club and will now reportedly play for Derbyshire as he feels he still has a lot of cricket left in him.
Patel debuted for the Notts in 2002 and went on to play more than 600 games, pucking 700 wickets and amassing around 21,000 runs across all formats and won six significant trophies, including the County Championship twice (2005/2010), T20 Blast twice (2017/2020), and the domestic List A trophy (2013/2017) with the club.
“It has been a privilege and an honour to represent Nottinghamshire, a place that I have called home for nearly three decades,” Patel said.
“The club has played a huge role in developing the young nine-year-old I was when I joined the club into the cricketer I am today. I look back on my career at Trent Bridge with tremendous affection; some of my fondest memories have come whilst donning the green and gold in front of the best fans in the world, engaging in battles on the field, and winning trophies for the club. When I signed my first contract at 15, I dreamt of representing my country in all three formats. I have no doubt that the club’s unwavering support helped me to achieve these goals, and, for that, I will be eternally grateful,” he added.
“Nothing would have given me greater pleasure than to see out my career with Notts, but whilst I haven’t been offered a new contract at Trent Bridge, I feel determined that I still have a lot to offer the game with both bat and ball. I’m looking forward to beginning my next chapter, contributing on and off the field wherever those opportunities may arise. Finally, thank you to all the members, supporters, staff, and teammates who have walked through the gates at Trent Bridge. If it was not for you guys, I would not be the man I am today,” Patel expressed.
Patel also featured in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Lanka Premier League (LPL), and Big Bash League (BBL), as well as winning the 2022 Hundred with Trent Rockets.
Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, Mick Newell, said: “Samit richly deserves the adulation he will get as his time at Notts comes to a close. That we associate him so closely with the club shows how important he has been in the successes we have achieved over the last two decades, and what a favourite he has become with our members and supporters.
“To have his kind of longevity at one club is no mean feat, and speaks volumes of his passion for the county, and the regard in which he has been held by his coaches and peers across his career here. I am grateful for his service to the club and the sacrifices he has made to wear the Nottinghamshire shirt. I know he has done so with immense pride, and that has played out in his performances on the pitch,” he added.