Counties hold firm on Euro T20 Slam clash

LONDON: English counties are holding firm over releasing their players for the inaugural Euro T20 Slam amid concerns over a potential clash of dates with their own fixtures, in the latest in a series of conflicts between county cricket and franchise leagues regarding player availability.

Several players holding county contracts were picked up in Friday’s draft for the Euro Slam, which will take place between August 30 and September 22, but will likely be unavailable for the majority of the new competition if their counties reach the knockout stages of the Vitality Blast.

The Blast’s quarter-finals run from September 4 to September 7, with final on September 21.

Nottinghamshire saw three important members of their side picked up in draft, in Samit Patel, Harry Gurney and Dan Christian. “In all three cases, Notts cricket will take precedence,” confirmed the club.

Sussex, meanwhile, will be without Rashid Khan for the final four group games of the Blast after he signed for Rotterdam Rhinos, while Tymal Mills and Luke Wright were also picked up in the draft.

A club statement said that Mills and Wright would only be available for the start of the Euro Slam if Sussex failed to reach the knockout stages of the Blast.