London: Out-of-favour Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara will have to wait till next week to make his Sussex debut due to visa reasons and miss the first match of the County Championship, starting Thursday. Pujara was not picked in the squad for the recent home Test series against Sri Lanka. He was to play in the first six County Championship matches for Sussex. He will then join the county side for the Royal London Cup and additional four-day matches at the end of the season.
The club said in a statement that it is in regular touch with Pujara and is working tirelessly to have him available for the first match of the season against Nottinghamshire. Keith Greenfield, Sussex’s performance director, said in a statement: “It is extremely difficult to ensure the availability of overseas players in the current environment. We renegotiated Pujara’s initial contract to allow him to return for more matches in the Royal London Cup and County Championship, and this changed the visa requirements.”
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“We expected Pujara to join the team last weekend but now he will be able to join the team only this weekend,” he said. The Sussexes expect Pujara to be available for next week’s second match against Derbyshire. Sussex head coach Ian Salisbury said: “Of course I am very disappointed that we will not be able to get the services of an experienced player like Pujara for the first match of the season, but we need to focus on the match for now.” Pujara has been struggling to play big innings for a long time which has cost him his place in the Indian team. His ‘grade’ has also been reduced in the Central Contract of the Board of Cricket in India (BCCI). (agency)