Patel overlooks IPL riches to secure place in England Test squad

London: Samit Patel, who chose not to play IPL to secure a Test place, has maintained he is 100 per cent happy with his decision to stay at home.

He admitted he was shocked when he heard skipper Andrew Strauss read out his name in the dressing room in Galle before last month’s first Test, and revealed that the experience has given him a taste for Test cricket that he cannot forget. Patel believes that with a couple of decent innings in his three county matches between now and the arrival of the West Indies, can make the No 6 spot his own. He said: “I spoke to Andy because I needed to know where I stood as I had a couple of offers from the IPL. He said he couldn’t guarantee anything but that I had to think about the ramifications of missing a number of games at home if I was trying for a Test place.” “On balance the odds just said to me that it was best not to go, but I knew it was up to me to bite the bullet and back myself to score some runs for Notts. Maybe it has cost me a bit of money but that is not the be-all and end-all for me.” “I want to play Test cricket badly, I have had a taste of it in Sri Lanka where it went pretty well and I ain’t stopping now, not after two Tests. That isn’t enough for me. I want more runs at Test level to show everyone I can do it at the top.” Patel was handed his debut in Galle, which turned out to be a largely forgettable affair. ANI