FORMER Leicestershire batsman John Sadler is to play for Suffolk in this season’s Minor Counties Trophy.

Suffolk skipper Justin Bishop confirmed that the county had discussed the possibility of Sadler taking on a player-coach role, but his commitments to his club side had prevented him from doing so.

Bishop and Sadler have known each other since they were opponents at the Under-15 Bunbury Festival, and subsequently played together for England at both under-17 and under-19 level.

Dewsbury-born Sadler started his career with Yorkshire, where he failed to make a single first-class appearance, before moving to Leicestershire in 2003.

He became a valuable member of the Leicestershire side, scoring 1,000 runs in a season for the first time in 2006 plus producing some useful performances in the Twenty20 competition. Sadler, who like Bishop is 29, joined Derbyshire in 2008, but the move did not work out and after playing just three first-class games at the start of last season he was released.

Bishop said: “I know him quite well as a person as well as a cricketer and it will be good to have him involved with the team.

“He is an all-rounder with a lot of first-class and one-day experience who should slot well into our top order. He is also a very good fielder.”

Bishop said that the signing of Sadler meant it was unlikely that former Derbyshire batsman Hassan Adnan would play in Suffolk’s one-day side this season, although he would continue to play in the Minor Counties Championship side.

“Hassan has been playing in Pakistan over the winter. He struggled with a knee injury last year, but he has assured me he is fit and is happy to be involved in the Championship matches,” added Bishop.