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Statement on Graeme van Buuren

22 April 2021

Graeme van Buuren, having been a Gloucestershire player and Bristol resident for the last five years, has to date been playing cricket in the UK as a non-overseas player. He has built a life in the UK, is married to a British citizen, and is settled in Bristol with two young children born in the city during his time at the Club.

Earlier in the year, having completed the requisite five years in the UK, Graeme started the process of applying for his “indefinite leave to remain” as a pathway to British Citizenship. This was anticipated to allow him to play, under recently changed regulations, as an England-qualified player from the early part of this season. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in delays in the UK Government processing his paperwork and the impact of Brexit means that the rights previously afforded to him are no longer available in the UK.

Accordingly, Graeme is only allowed to currently play as an overseas player; with two overseas players eligible to play in the County Championship, Kraigg Brathwaite and Dan Worrall have been selected to play in the match against Hampshire in Southampton. The Club is allowed to have three registered overseas players at any one time, but only two can play in the team for any given fixture.

Graeme has played a huge part in the two victories of the 2021 season so far and is an integral member of the Gloucestershire cricket family. The Club, along with the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA), continue to support his application and the speedy resolution of what is a very difficult period for Graeme and his family.

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