Following the culmination of Notts Outlaws’ Friends Life t20 campaign, bowler Ian Butler hopes to return to Trent Bridge next summer, should international commitments allow him to do so.

“Cricket is a funny old game,” he said.

“You never know where you can end up, but I'd love to come back to Trent Bridge and represent Notts again.

“Next up I’ll head back for the Champions League, and straight after that, I'll be working on being selected for New Zealand's series against Bangladesh.

“There’s a lot of competition for places so I'm not guaranteed, but you want to be playing the game at the highest level and that, for me, is representing my country.

“I'm just going to be working only fitness, keeping sharp and staking my claim for a place.”

“Nottingham has become my home this summer,” Ian Butler

Butler made an instant impression at Trent Bridge after signing for the Outlaws’ Friends Life t20 campaign, taking three wickets on his debut against Leicestershire Foxes. His weeks in Nottingham, he said, were very different to arriving with New Zealand earlier in the summer.

“My entire time here was excellent,” he said.

“Often, you don’t know what to expect when you come into a new club, but everyone I’ve met here, from the players to the coaching staff to everyone behind the scenes has made my stay here hugely enjoyable.”

“I’ve made some new mates, and more so, I’ve learned things from them.

“Cricket brings together so many people from so many different playing backgrounds, from David Hussey to the likes of Alex Hales and Lumby who are involved with England.

“They all have different views of the sport and how to approach games, and I’d like to think I’ve taken things from that.”

Butler’s time with Notts ended in bittersweet fashion with the Outlaws’ quarter-final defeat at home to Essex Eagles, despite his 3-23 being his best figures for the summer. Even with that conclusion, his time in the East Midlands was clearly an enjoyable one.

“Nottingham has become my home this summer,” he said.

“I’ve played here before, but it’s different when it’s your home ground. To have your own spot in the dressing room and to have the fans behind you really is special for me." 

We would like to offer Ian Butler our thanks, and wish him all the best for the future.