JOHANNESBURG, Oct 10: All-rounder Ryan McLaren has withdrawn from the South African squad to play One-day Internationals against Kenya and Bangladesh next month in order to honour his contract with English county Kent, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said on Friday.

McLaren has served one year of a three-year contract with Kent, who have employed him as a Kolpak player on the basis that he will not be available for South Africa.

“We fully appreciate and understand Ryan’s request to be released by Kent for the remainder of his contract to play for South Africa but we are not in a position to agree to his request for numerous reasons,” Kent CEO Paul Millman said in a statement released by CSA on Friday.

“Ryan is a key player and Kent has built the team around him. This has become even more relevant because of our demotion to the second division of the County Championship.”

The 25-year-old McLaren was set to make his international debut in two one-dayers against Kenya and three against Bangladesh.

The statement said McLaren would not be replaced in the squad.—Reuters