Former West Indies test cricket star Hartley Alleyne - who coaches the game at a school in Canterbury – has been told he must leave the country within 28 days.
The former Kent fast bowler is currently seeking legal advice to fight the deportation order.
But Home Office officials say he must leave the UK as he has no academic qualification for his coaching job at St Edmund's School - despite living in the country since 1978 and having an English wife and two children.
Hartley - who has played against stars such as Ian Botham, Geoff Boycott, Graham Gooch and David Gower - said: "It is hard to be told you cannot stay in a country you have made your home.
"I cannot sleep at night thinking 'what have I done to deserve this. It is horrible."
Hartley - from Barbados - was told in a letter from the Home Office he was refused a work permit as: "we do not consider the position of assistant coach and resident tutor is of sufficient skill and responsibility to meet the criteria of the work permit arrangements."
His original application for a permit was refused as he does not have an NVQ qualification.
The Home Office this week said it was sticking by the decision but a spokeswoman refused to comment on the case itself.
The decision has been greeted with outrage by both the school and local MP Julian Brazier.
Mr Brazier said: "I am very sad to hear this news. At a time when we are failing to deport criminals, we propose to throw out a man who has given nearly 30 years service
to British cricket – and ignoring the fact that he has children here."
St Edmunds headmaster Jeremy Gladwin added: "I am surprised and very disappointed by the refusal of Mr Allyene’s work permit.
"The children will be shocked by this news and we will find it very difficult to replace him as a resident tutor in boarding at such short notice. Mr Alleyne is a well-loved figure at St Edmund’s and it will be hard to imagine the cricket scene without him.
"I fail to understand why flexibility and sense cannot be applied to such immigration cases.
"Whilst the immigration rules are made to protect the jobs of British citizens, there seems to be an innate unfairness in this decision which lacks decency and commonsense.
"How can someone who has contributed so much to the British cricket scene be treated with such apparent contempt?"
POSTED: 31/05/2007 18:20:22
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