Hussey Clashes With Notts Over Indian Premier League

Nottinghamshire have become the first county to suffer the fallout from the Indian Premier League as they have had entered emergency discussions with their Australian batsman David Hussey over his dual commitment this summer.

Hussey was one of the surprise big-money signings in the Mumbai auction, purchased for $625,000 by the Kolkata franchise, well above his base salary of $125,000 and nearly twice as much as the price of his better-known brother, Mike. His high salary was explained by the fact that unlike his fellow Australians, Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden, he was available for the whole tournament, which runs from mid-April to the start of June.

This availability came as a jolt to Notts, where he has just signed a new two-year contract on the assumption that - barring an unlikely call-up by Australia, for whom he has played only one Twenty20 international - he would be available for the whole of the summer.

Hussey has become one of the most dependable overseas players in the country, having first played for Notts in 2004. But he would miss five championship matches if he played for the entire IPL, and he will be adamant that he should have the right, as the rewards are way above his estimated £80,000 salary for a full Notts season.

Notts are already in tense negotiations with his agent and if the lawyers become involved, Hussey will become a test case for the first in what could be several clashes of loyalty.

Mike Newell, Nottinghamshire's director of cricket, said: "We are currently talking to David and his advisers so I would prefer not to comment at this stage, other than to say that he signed a new two-year contract with us after the end of last season."