Twenty20 heartbreak for Sadler

John Sadler will miss Twenty20 Cup Finals Day

Leicestershire batsman John Sadler admits he has considered not attending Twenty20 Cup Finals Day on Saturday due to the heartbreak of being ruled out by injury.

The left-hander will miss the climax to the tournament at The Brit Oval after sustaining a broken collarbone while batting for his county against the Australians at Grace Road a fortnight ago.

Sadler was struck on the shoulder by a short-pitched delivery from Aussie paceman Brett Lee and now faces an estimated three weeks out of action.

Missing the Finals Day is a huge setback for the 23-year-old and although he is likely to make the trip to the capital, Sadler admits he has considered staying at home due to his disappointment at the injury.

Sadler was part of the successful Foxes side in 2004

"Not being able to take part in finals day is a massive blow," said Sadler, who was part of the Foxes side which lifted the trophy last summer. "You could say I'm heartbroken, devastated, gutted, bitterly disappointed - all those things.

"I still haven't decided for sure whether I can face going to The Oval. I want to go down but I know how hard it's going to be to be part of it but at the same time unable to play.

"But I think afterwards, I'd regret not having gone so I'll probably be there. I know it's going to be tough though."

Initial scans failed to detect a fracture and doctors initially diagnosed severe bruising. Sadler returned to action, only to make the problem worse and a second series of X-rays revealed the break.

"It was such a clean break, the first set of X-rays didn't show it so we though it was fine and I wouldn't be able to do any more damage,” he explained.

"So I got back to playing, took a catch and the stretching opened up the break which made it easier to see on the second X-rays.

"If they'd called it first time I would have been out two to four weeks but now the break's a little worse and I'm still looking at another three weeks. It's nobody's fault though, I don't blame anyone.”

Sadler does not blame Brett Lee for the injury © Getty Images

Sadler also holds no ill feeling towards Lee, who produced a fearsome display of fast bowling to secure selection for the first npower Ashes Test at Lord’s.

The Dewsbury-born batsman said: "Brett Lee told me later he was trying to prove a point because he was trying hard to make sure he got in the Australian side for the first Ashes Test.

"He said he was desperate to have his name read out at Lord's and that shows you how much he was trying. He was giving it 100 per cent, and any of the boys who batted against him in that game will tell you how hard he was running in.

"There was no malice in the delivery though and you have to accept these things happen in sport.”