Sussex still without Rahman

Sussex have been frustrated again in their attempts to get Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman into their T20 team.
Sussex skipper Luke Wright. Picture: Phil WestlakeSussex skipper Luke Wright. Picture: Phil Westlake
Sussex skipper Luke Wright. Picture: Phil Westlake

Visa issues have further delayed the left-armer’s arrival. He was due to make his debut in tomorrow night’s sold-out clash with Hampshire at Hove but he is not expected to figure until Sussex travel to Chelmsford to face Essex next Thursday.

With Nuwan Kulasekera back in Sri Lanka after a brief but successful stint the Sharks will only have one overseas player on Friday night when New Zealander Ross Taylor makes his last home appearance. Taylor is due to link up with the Kiwis for their tour of Zimbabwe after the Essex game.

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Captain Luke Wright says the county are considering all their options. Rahman will be available for their last three T20 games plus four remaining matches in the Royal London One-Day Cup but they are actively considering a replacement for Taylor for the second half of their Specsavers County Championship campaign.

Taylor will make his last appearance against Kent at Tunbridge Wells on Sunday when Sussex will be without Ed Joyce, who is on Ireland duty.

At least Wright and his players have had a few days to lick their wounds after last Thursday’s Blast defeat to Glamorgan at Cardiff when they lost by 46 runs after being dismissed for 113 with nine balls of their innings unused.

Sussex skipper Wright said: “That was a really bad night. It wasn’t a performance I could see coming.

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“You have to give credit to Glamorgan. Not so long ago you’d rock up at Cardiff and expect to win but they have a team now that covers all the bases with lots of all-rounders and a lot of guys who can smash it.

“But I was so angry with the way we played and I told the lads afterwards.

“It’s not all doom and gloom. We’re still in the mix to qualify for the quarter-finals but we wanted to be going into the last eight playing well and with a lot of confidence. There is still time for that to happen but we have to improve quickly.”

Sussex will have Chris Jordan available against Hampshire, who are bottom of the South Group and out of contention for the knockout stages. And the Sharks have called up pace bowler Jofra Archer, the former West Indies under-19 with a British passport.

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Archer impressed on his first-class debut against Pakistan last week, when he took five wickets, and might well get another chance to shine on Friday.

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