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August 17, 2024
The squads will be completed at the auction in Cape Town on October 1
The six SA20 teams have completed their pre-signings and retentions ahead of the third season of the tournament, to be played from January 9 to February 8 next year. With more big-ticket names joining the teams, Graeme Smith, the league commissioner, feels “the hard work that the league and franchises have put in to create a world-class experience has paid off”.
Among the stars to have signed up for what Smith called “one of the Tier 1 franchise leagues on the global circuit” are Joe Root, Dinesh Karthik, Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, Devon Conway, Azmatullah Omarzai, Jonny Bairstow and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
“To have the calibre of international players joining local heroes like Aiden [Markram], KG [Kagiso Rabada] and Heinrich [Klaasen] sets up an explosive season,” Smith said in a press statement. “We are also incredibly proud of all the domestic players who have been retained by the teams, including the majority of the rookies who have been incorporated as fully-contracted players for Season 3.”
As things stand, the teams have between 14 and 17 players on their rosters, and the squads will be completed at the auction in Cape Town on October 1. Each team can have a maximum of 19 players, including one wildcard and one rookie player; of the other 17, a minimum of ten have to be South African, and a maximum of seven can be from overseas.
A CSA statement added, “Each franchise will also need to select their Season 3 Rookie, while three of the franchises still have a wildcard to announce before December 30.” The schedule of matches will be announced on a later date.
Durban’s Super Giants: Brandon King, Quinton De Kock, Naveen ul Haq, Kane Williamson, Chris Woakes, Prenelan Subrayen, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Noor Ahmed, Heinrich Klaasen, Jon-Jon Smuts, Wiaan Mulder, Junior Dala, Bryce Parsons, Matthew Breetzke, Jason Smith, Marcus Stoinis
Joburg Super Kings: Faf Du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Maheesh Theekshana, Devon Conway, Gerald Coetzee, David Wiese, Leus Du Plooy, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Donavon Ferreira, Imran Tahir, Sibonelo Makhanya, Tabraiz Shamsi
MI Cape Town: Rashid Khan, Ben Stokes, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, Azmatullah Omarzai, Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Nuwan Thushara, Connor Esterhuizen, Delano Potgieter, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Thomas Kaber, Chris Benjamin
Pretoria Capitals: Anrich Nortje, Jimmy Neesham, Will Jacks, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Will Smeed, Migael Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Eathan Bosch, Wayne Parnell, Senuran Muthusamy, Kyle Verreynne, Daryn Dupavillon, Steve Stolk, Tiaan van Vuuren
Paarl Royals: David Miller, Mujeeb Ur-Rahman, Sam Hain, Joe Root, Dinesh Karthik, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Bjorn Fortuin, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Van Buuren, Keith Dudgeon, Nqaba Peter, Andile Phehlukwayo, Codi Yusuf, John Turner, Dayyaan Galiem, Jacob Bethell
Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Aiden Markram, Zak Crawley, Roelof van der Merwe, Liam Dawson, Ottneil Baartman, Marco Jansen, Beyers Swanepoel, Caleb Seleka, Tristan Stubbs, Jordan Hermann, Patrick Kruger, Craig Overton, Tom Abell, Simon Harmer, Andile Simelane, David Bedingham
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine will continue playing for the Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) for at least two more seasons after signing a pre-draft contract. Devine, who is the Scorchers’ third-highest run-scorer and has made three centuries for the team, was retained by the Scorchers in last season’s draft, despite interest from the Melbourne Renegades.
In the previous season, Devine scored 489 runs at an average of 37.61, including a century against Brisbane Heat, and took 14 wickets. Her contributions helped the Scorchers reach the Challenger final, where they were defeated by Brisbane Heat. Overall, she ranks as the third-highest run-scorer for the Scorchers in WBBL history, behind Beth Mooney and Elyse Villani.
“For me, coming back to Perth was a no-brainer,” Devine said. “I have built such a special connection with the players and staff over the past four seasons, and I couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else.”
The Perth Scorchers have not yet announced a new contract for Australia opener Beth Mooney, but she is expected to stay with the team. The Scorchers have also added Mikayla Hinkley from Brisbane Heat during the off-season.
Last season, the Scorchers had three English players—Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Lauren Winfield-Hill—as their overseas options. However, Sciver-Brunt has stated she won’t be participating this season due to a busy international schedule. The WBBL begins just a week after the T20 World Cup ends, and England’s tour of South Africa overlaps with the tournament’s final stages in late November.
Sophie Devine’s return to the Scorchers was confirmed shortly after Chamari Athapaththu signed a three-year contract with Sydney Thunder. Among WBBL teams, only Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes have yet to announce a pre-draft signing.