Kyle Abbott to miss Hampshire's 2020 season due to coronavirus

The South African seamer will return to the club in 2021 as a designated overseas player

Kyle Abbott will not play for Hampshire during the 2020 season as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The move is a mutual decision, with the South African seamer returning in 2021 as a designated overseas player.

Abbott does not permanently reside in the United Kingdom, and so his availability during this shortened campaign has been reduced significantly due to the impact of Covid-19.

He signed a new three-year deal last winter, but will now continue to work at his game in South Africa, before returning next year. Across all formats, he has taken 293 wickets for the club at just 21.43 apiece, with his record in red-ball cricket even more impressive, having claimed 183 at an average of 18.78 in first-class games.

His match spell of 17 for 86 against Somerset in 2019 changed the shape of the title race, with Somerset’s defeat opening the door for Essex.

“The window for Kyle’s return to the UK has narrowed significantly as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the difficulties with visa delays and quarantine restrictions that have followed subsequently,” said the club’s director of cricket, Giles White.

“We’ve had excellent dialogue with Kyle throughout this period, and with everything considered, we all felt the best course of action was for him to remain in South Africa in readiness for the 2021 season.”

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