MIDDLESEX have lost their captain Leus du Plooy for the rest of the season after an embarrassing blunder.
The batter was not registered properly by the cricket club after it was announced he would be representing South Africa.
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Du Plooy, 31, was born in South Africa and could be involved for his country against England in a Test series this winter.
He could have continued to feature for Middlesex before the end of the season despite his international ambition.
But Middlesex did not register Du Plooy as an overseas player before the deadline on Sunday.
It was not realised that his declaration to play for South Africa would affect his eligibility for the remainder of the season.
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As a result, he could not continue to play for Middlesex as local player for the rest of 2026.
This means that he will not be able to play in the Royal London One-Day Cup final against Leicestershire.
That match is scheduled for September 20 and is Middlesex’s first appearance in the final since 1990.
Du Plooy will also miss out on helping the club fight for promotion out of Division Two in the County Championship.
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The club confirmed the situation with a statement on social media.
It read: “Middlesex Cricket can confirm that captain Leus du Plooy will be unable to play for the Club following clarification of his playing registration status under ECB.
“The club remains in discussions with ECB and PCA around this issue.
“Last week, following an article in the press, the Club confirmed that Leus had declared his intention to pursue an opportunity to play international cricket for South Africa.
“The Club has now been made aware that, under ECB regulations, a player who has declared an intention to play for another country is classified as an overseas player for domestic cricket purposes.
“As a result, Leus is required to be registered as an overseas player in order to continue playing for Middlesex.
“The deadline for the registration of overseas players for the 2026 season was Sunday, 6 September, meaning that it is now not possible for the Club to register Leus and select him for the remainder of the season.”
Du Plooy will now be leaving Middlesex and has thanked the club for the support he has received.
He said: “I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at Middlesex for the incredible support I’ve received during my time at the club, both as a player and as captain.
“The decision to leave was an extremely difficult one and certainly not something I have taken lightly.
“Ultimately, an opportunity has arisen for me to explore the possibility of representing South Africa, and I feel that I owe it to myself to see where that opportunity might lead.
“It is something I have always dreamed of, but I also understand what an incredible privilege it would be to actually play for my country.
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“I want to make it clear how grateful I am to Middlesex for the way the club has supported me throughout this process.
“I have been fortunate to have had such a strong relationship with the club, and the understanding and support shown in helping me make this decision has meant a great deal.”