Cape Town - After missing the inaugural Mzansi Super League through injury, former Proteas all-rounder JP Duminy was the major signing at Tuesday’s 2019 Player Draft with the veteran being snapped up by the Paarl Rocks.
Despite retiring from all international cricket at the World Cup earlier this year in the United Kingdom, Duminy remains the Proteas leading T20I run-scorer with 1934 runs at an average of 38.68. He is also a vastly experienced T20 franchise cricketer, having spent many years playing in the Indian Premier League and also recently won the Pakistan Super League.
The 35-year-old’s latest T20 highlight was, though, claiming the “MVP” award in the Canadian Super League for topping the run-scoring charts with 332 runs at an average of 83.00 after the World Cup.
Duminy will be joined at Boland Park by former Proteas fast bowler Hardus Viljoen. Since leaving the Highveld Lions on a Kolpak in 2016, the strongly-built paceman has become a much-sought after commodity on the global T20 circuit.
Viljoen has since played for the Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars, Chittagong Vikings, Derbyshire, Northern Warriors, Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, Kent in the on-going Vitality T20 Blast and will also turn out for the St Lucia Zouks in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League.
The Rocks added further international flavour with the acquisition of England World Cup winner James Vince to their squad.
Meanwhile, the Cape Town Blitz purchased fellow England batsman Liam Livingstone in the opening round of Tuesday’s player draft for the 2019 Mzansi Super League.
Livingstone is a cornerstone of the successful Lancashire Lightning in England’s T20 Blast, and will know Blitz coach Ashwell Prince well after the former Proteas batsman’s many years at Old Trafford.
The Blitz have also gone local though with the addition of Proteas Test all-rounder Vernon Philander to the squad, while Sisanda Magala will also hope to become a Newlands favourite this season. Young left-arm spinner Gregory Mahlokwana has also moved down from Centurion.
“I think it is always good to stay in Cape Town. We all know Cape Town has the best crowds … hard to please crowds … but I think that is what we live for is the excitement of going out to entertain.
“It is really good to go out there and entertain. Hopefully we can play good cricket. I think obviously being a local player, there is a lot of expectation. I think you can also use it to your advantage and get the crowd behind you,” Philander said.
“Hopefully we can get off to a good start and bring the Cup home. Looking forward to see Quinny (de Kock) do well from a leadership point of view and hopefully we can back him up.”
Last season’s runners-up have also retained Pakistani Asif Ali and Proteas trio Janneman Malan, Anrich Nortje and Dale Steyn.
Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has replaced England batsman Dawid Malan as the team’s international marquee player. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has remained as their local marquee player and will captain the team.
FULL LIST OF MSL T20 SQUADS
CAPE TOWN BLITZ:
Quinton de Kock, Wahab Riaz (Pakistan), Liam Livingstone (England), Dale Steyn (retained player), Sisanda Magala, Anrich Nortje (retained player), Asif Ali (Pakistan, retained player), Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan), Janneman Malan (retained player), George Linde, David Bedingham, Vernon Philander, Marques Ackerman, Gregory Mahlokoana, Aviwe Mgijima
DURBAN HEAT:
Andile Phehlukwayo, Alex Hales (England), David Miller (retained player), Dane Vilas, Ravi Bopara (England), Keshav Maharaj (retained player), Kyle Abbott (kolpak, retained player), Khaya Zondo (retained player), Marco Jansen (rookie), Daryn Dupavillon, Sarel Erwee (retained player), Malusi Siboto, Prenelan Subrayen, Wihan Lubbe, Shaun von Berg
JOZI STARS:
Kagiso Rabada, Chris Gayle (Windies), Rassie van der Dussen (retained player), Reeza Hendricks (retained player), Daniel Christian (Australia, retained player), Temba Bavuma, Duanne Olivier (retained player), Simon Harmer, Ryan Rickelton (retained player), Aaron Phangiso, Lizaad Williams, Sinethemba Qeshile (retained player), Nono Pongolo, Eathan Bosch, Delano Potgieter
NELSON MANDELA BAY GIANTS:
Imran Tahir, Jason Roy (England), Chris Morris (retained player), Jon-Jon Smuts (retained player), Junior Dala (retained player), Farhaan Behardien, Beuran Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Onke Nyaku, Ben Dunk (Australia), Heino Kuhn (retained player), Marco Marais (retained player), Grant Thomson, Akhona Mnyaka, Nandre Burger
PAARL ROCKS:
Faf du Plessis, Isuru Udana (Sri Lanka), JP Duminy, Tabraiz Shamsi (retained player), Hardus Viljoen, Aiden Markram (retained player), Bjorn Fortuin (retained player), James Vince (England), Dwaine Pretorius, Cameron Delport (kolpak, retained player), Sibonelo Makhanya, Henry Davids (retained player), Mangaliso Mosehle (retained player), Ferisco Adams, Kerwin Mungroo
TSHWANE SPARTANS:
AB de Villiers, Tom Curran (England), Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi (retained player), Heinrich Klaasen, Theunis de Bruyn (retained player), Roelof van der Merwe, Lutho Sipamla (retained player), Pite van Biljon, Tony de Zorzi (retained player), Waqar Salamkheil (Afghanistan), Dean Elgar, Wiaan Mulder, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Corbin Bosch