Savident stumped by rules

GUERNSEY'S only island-produced professional player has been prevented from turning out for his childhood team by a GCA rule technicality. Former Hampshire CCC all-rounder Lee Savident is back in the island indefinitely, but is currently unable to play for C&W Rovers because local rules have not yet been standardised with ICC ones.

'I'm itching to play but I can't at the moment,' he said as he watched his side all but seal the Barclays Premier One title with victory over Clubhouse Optimists.

'It's annoying, but what can you do? I was born here, played all my cricket here, I'm back indefinitely, but I just can't play until the GCA says so.'

Savident, who returned on Monday, has already missed one match. He will miss another this evening, when Rovers are likely to secure the league title and will be just a spectator when Rovers play Old Victorians in the Channel Islands Club Championship this weekend.

'The GCA said it needs satisfying that he will be here at least eight weeks from the date of his return, but he can't say how long he will be here,' said Paul Porter, Rovers secretary.

'It's likely to be much longer, though no one knows for sure. We would have liked to have used him in Jersey but instead he'll be just watching. There is a GCA meeting on Monday evening when this will be discussed and I hope he will be allowed to play from then, but I am not optimistic.'

The current rules were designed so that holidaymaking players could not just turn up in Guernsey, play a match and then head off back into the unknown.

GCA weekend representative and Guernsey Cricket Board president Dave Piesing is sympathetic, but said that the rules could not be twisted.

'Until the GCA is satisfied that he is resident, we cannot allow him to play. Even Lee himself is unable to say how long he is staying for. If he does not know whether he is staying, how can we be?

'No one wants to stop him playing, but we have to be fair to other sides.

'It's very difficult and very delicate. My personal view is that if a player is eligible to play for Guernsey, he should be eligible to play in Guernsey.'

Piesing was referring to ICC rules under which Savident, Guernsey-born, would always be able to play for the island in ICC competition.

'There's a whole review of registrations and eligibility planned for this winter,' said Piesing.

'According to the current rules, there needs to be a four-week waiting period, though this has been waived recently, and the player needs to be able to satisfy the GCA that he will be here at least eight weeks. We have also to think of Jersey clubs. It is likely that any matches Lee would play at the end of this season would be against Jersey clubs in the CICC.

'In some ways it is a nonsense because he has got more right to play than some others who are playing at the moment. It is difficult not to be sympathetic to Lee, but the GCA has to justify its position to the other clubs.'