Somerset's Malaysia-born all-rounder Arul Suppiah has lost his appeal for long-term leave to remain in the UK and will fly back to his country of birth on Saturday.

Chief executive Richard Gould said: "We are hopeful that he will receive a (new) work permit for 2009.

"The application process has to be completed in Malaysia which is why he is flying back there but we hope he will be back with us in four or five weeks to prepare for the new season.

"But that will only really get us through 2009 because in 2010 the ECB's work permit criteria changes. In order to get a work permit you need to have played Test or one-day international cricket for one of the major teams so we are going to have to argue our case to keep him here beyond '09.

"The reason he was refused was that, whilst he has been in this country for more than ten years, he was a student for part of that time and that does not count under the regulations.

"Arul is disappointed but he is being relatively pragmatic about it. He just wants to play cricket and play cricket for Somerset.

"He has also said he wants to play cricket for England and repeat what he did as a 14 and 15-year-old."

Suppiah and Somerset made their original application in September and have only now been informed of the decision. The batsman's winter has been spent in Taunton because he had to surrender his passport pending the adjudication.

Suppiah, now 25, arrived in England to go to Millfield School aged 13 in 1996 and has played for Somerset CCC since 2002.