Essex chairman Anu Mohindru has said a 12-point deduction imposed for Feroze Khushi using an oversized bat was “like a punch to the guts” for the club’s players.

The sanction, which was applied in the County Championship, came after Khushi’s bat failed an on-field dimensions check during his second innings in Essex’s win over Nottinghamshire in April.

Mohindru said he had written to the sport’s governing body asking why the punishment could not be suspended.

The Cricket Regulator was contacted for comment.

Mohindru said he felt the points deduction, imposed in September, affected Essex’s performances in their final matches of the season.

They finished fourth in the County Championship, two points behind third-placed Somerset.

“It was almost like a punch to the guts, it takes the wind out of your sails,” Mohindru told BBC Essex Sport.