Mascarenhas to miss start of season (From This is Hampshire)

Mascarenhas to miss start of season

7:30am Tuesday 12th March 2013 in Hampshire Sport

Hampshire t20 captain Dimi Mascarenhas has confirmed he will be unavailable for up to a third of the county’s LV County Championship campaign because of his Indian Premier League commitments.

The 35-year-old, who is currently playing club cricket in Australia, will spend a second IPL season with Kings XI Punjab, from April 3 until May 26.

Nottinghamshire have blocked former Hampshire star Michael Lumb and his county teammates from taking part this year, but Mascarenhas is one of three England-qualified players at this year’s IPL, alongside Kevin Pietersen (Delhi Daredevils) and Luke Wright (Pune Warriors).

Mascarenhas, who took an IPL-best 5-25 in one of his four appearances for Kings XI Punjab last year, said: “I’m staying in Melbourne to play for Prahran in the club cricket finals, which finish up in the first week of April and I’ve already told Hampshire that I’m going to play in the IPL after that.”

The veteran all-rounder, who played under former Hampshire captain Shane Warne for Rajasthan Royals from 2008-10, is one of eight Kings XI Punjab players battling for the four overseas spots, alongside captain Adam Gilchrist, Azhar Mahmood, David Miller, Michael Hussey, Ryan Harris, Shaun Marsh and Luke Pomersbach.

Mascarenhas was limited to just five County Championship appearances last year, with his return from the IPL at the end of May followed by a shoulder injury that also prevented him from playing in the CB40 final at Lord’s.

This year he will miss Hampshire’s first five Championship matches and their first five Yorkshire Bank 40 games, but will have no shortage of time to prepare for the start of the Royals’ t20 defence, against Surrey on June 26.

“I just want to keep playing for as long as possible. I’m enjoying it and whilst you’ve got that hunger you don’t want to stop playing,” he said. “It’s going to be another big season for us at Hampshire but it’s the same every year.”

Hampshire will also be without Neil McKenzie until June and Saeed Ajmal is due to arrive for the last third of the season.

But otherwise everyone will be available for the first game against Leicestershire at The Ageas Bowl on April 10.