Patel pulls out of IPL auction

Keep tabs on the England team - click here for all the breaking news from the camp, exclusive interviews, match reports and much more

Samit Patel, who has withdrawn from the IPL auction, is determined to force his way into the Test side by weight of championship runs

England and Nottinghamshire all-rounder Samit Patel has withdrawn from the Indian Premier League auction in an attempt to further his claim for a Test place.

Patel’s representatives have held talks with several franchises but he has elected to declare himself unavailable ahead of tonight’s midnight deadline to enter the auction.

“My biggest ambition is to play Test cricket and I need to score a high volume of runs in the championship to push my case,” said Patel.

“If I was selected for the IPL then I would miss several championship matches and that won’t help me at a time when I need to do everything I can to impress the selectors.

“I have listened to the advice from people that I trust and it is clear that this decision is the right one to have made for cricket reasons.

“The IPL is an exciting tournament and I would like to be involved in it in the future but not to the detriment of my England ambitions.”

Patel’s availability at the start of the domestic season is a further boost for Notts, who will play seven LV= County Championship matches before the end of May.

Director of cricket Mick Newell endorsed Patel’s decision.

“Samit has got himself back into England’s limited-overs teams but he feels that he can become a Test match regular and it goes without saying that scoring a high volume of runs for Nottinghamshire will help him to achieve his ambition,” said Newell.

“Staying away from the IPL this year is a mature decision and one that we hope will benefit Samit’s career and improve our prospects in the championship.”

Click here for all the latest news from the domestic cricket scene, including exclusive interviews, team news, match reports and photo galleries