The consensus seems to be that those who spent the end of last week watching the Open Championship rather than the Test match will have missed Darren Pattinson's entire England career, but the Nottinghamshire seam bowler said yesterday that he wants to play more international matches, even if he has to wait for another chance.

Pattinson, who took two for 95 in England's ten-wicket defeat by South Africa at Headingley Carnegie, said that he was surprised by his last-minute call-up but had enjoyed himself. “It's happened a few times in my career when I've been picked out of nowhere and I feel that anything is possible,” Pattinson said. “I was nervous at first but I relaxed as it wore on, and in the end it turned out OK.

“I've got things that I need to learn and I know that my next chance might not come straight away [with Ryan Sidebottom expected to return for the third Test next week] but I'd like to think that I can be involved again farther down the track.”

Pattinson, who was born in Grimsby but grew up in Australia, added that he has only a UK passport, so never had to choose between the land of his birth and where he was raised.

The number of Kolpak players in county cricket could be substantially reduced after the EU clarified the employment law that has been used to sign players from South Africa and the West Indies. Under the Cotonou treaty, free trade exists between the EC and many African, Pacific and Caribbean countries, which had meant that counties could sign players from such countries and not register them as overseas players.

However, the EU, under the presidency of France, had ruled that the treaty was designed for the trade of goods and services rather than the movement of labour. France has been pushing for the law to change because of the number of South Africans playing rugby union in the country.

One option for the counties would be to allow existing Kolpak players to complete their contracts but for future signings to be considered as overseas players.

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