London:In the face of global pandemic COVID-19, Gloucestershire have confirmed that India's Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara will not play for the club this year.
Pujara signed a deal to play the first six games of the County Championship season in February, and was set to become Gloucestershire's first Indian player, since Javagal Srinath in 1995.
However, with the ECB suspending all professional cricket until May 28, in a bid to flatten the curve of a wide-spreading virus, and there being travel restrictions in place, the county has officially confirmed that the fans will miss an opportunity to watch Pujara represent them.
"We spent much of the winter preparing for the season in this, our 150th anniversary year, and we know it is a deep disappointment to all staff, players and everyone involved with the club that the season has been delayed," Gloucestershire's chairman and chief executive said in a statement on their website.
"We will also now miss the opportunity to see Cheteshwar Pujara play for the mighty Glos in the 2020 season, which we know our supporters were really looking forward to," it added.
Pujara is not the first overseas signing to be hit by the consequences of the Coronavirus. Surrey were forced to sever the contract they had in place for Australia's Michael Neser's just two days ago, owing to the same reason.(UNI)