Samit Patel to leave Notts after 22-year career

Nottinghamshire have announced the departure of former England allrounder Samit Patel after more than two decades at the club.

Patel, who turns 39 in November, is set to play on, with Derbyshire understood to be favourites for his signature.

Patel made his first-team debut for Notts in 2002, going on to play more than 600 games across formats and collecting six major trophies, including the County Championship twice and the T20 Blast twice. He was also capped 60 times by England between 2008 and 2015.

"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.

"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 team-mates 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 played in the Twenty20 Cup in its inaugural season and has the most appearances and second-highest number of wickets (208) in the history of England's T20 competition. This season, he played in 12 out of Nottinghamshire's 15 Blast games, as they exited the competition at the quarter-final stage, scoring 136 runs and taking 11 wickets.

In recent years, Patel has put his vast experience to use on the global T20 circuit, featuring in the PSL, CPL, LPL and Big Bash, 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 always wanted to be the man to get Notts over the line, and credit has to go to him for that attitude which has served him and us so well over many years. He leaves us with our very best wishes for his next chapter, and the knowledge that he'll always be warmly received as a visitor to Trent Bridge."