'We do feel penalised' - Middlesex chief

Vinny Codrington, Middlesex's chief executive, has said the county does "feel penalised" by rules that would prevent their leading players from taking part in the Champions Twenty20 League in India in December.

However, Codrington was quick to dispel any thoughts that he is in disagreement with the ECB over the likely unavailability of Andrew Strauss and Owais Shah, who will be part of the England Test squad at the time of the Champions League.

"We have had meetings with the ECB and the Professional Cricketers Association regarding Andrew Strauss, Owais Shah and the Twenty20 Champions League," Codrington said. "Both organisations have been extremely helpful and supportive.

"We perfectly understand the situation regarding Andrew and Owais, as the players do themselves," he added. "We would never stand in the way of a player's career, and if the ECB feel unable to release either or both of them, then we also understand that the Indian Test series takes precedence.

"We are working alongside the ECB and the PCA and are in complete agreement with the way forward."

Middlesex will be affected by a tournament rule under which they can use only those players on their books when they qualified for the Champions League. That rules out Neil Dexter, who was signed post season from Kent, and Neil Carter, a short-term loan signing from Warwickshire. Dirk Nannes is also missing from the squad as he is representing Victoria.

"Chennai [Super Kings], for example, have got four internationals while it doesn't look like England are going to release Shah and Strauss, so we have look at alternatives and we do feel penalised," Codrington told the Daily Telegraph. "We are also only allowed one overseas player while Chennai can pick Matthew Hayden, Mike Hussey and Muttiah Muralitharan so we are starting behind the eight-ball.

"The guys will go out early and we are having to pay for that as they will not fund us being there until the 30th [November] but we want to give ourselves the best chance of competing," he said. "We let the Trinidad match get away from us and we were stuffed by the Stanford team, although not as badly as England were."