August 1, 2024, Monday: The Paarl Royals on Thursday unveiled a solid core of capped and uncapped South African retained players for Season 3 of the amazing T20 league in the nation, the SA20,
with Wednesday being the deadline for submitting the list of kept players. Ten South African players who played for the franchise in Season 2, when they advanced to the Playoffs, have been retained by the Boland Park-based side. Players who have been kept in before the auction include all-arounders Bjorn Fortuin and Andile Phehlukwayo, pacer Lungi Ngidi, and captain David Miller.
Retained players include leggie Nqaba Peter, seamer Codi Yusuf, all-rounder Keith Dudgeon, and middle-order batsman Mitchell van Buuren. The Royals will also be wearing the colours of their rookie recruits from Season 2, Kwena Maphaka and Lhuandre Pretorius, two talented teenagers who did not play in the SA20 but guided the South African Men’s U19 squad to victory in the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup earlier this year.
Additionally, the squad acquired Dayyaan Galiem, an all-around bowler, from the Johannesburg Super Kings in exchange for veteran spinner Tabraiz Shamsi. The team has also declared that Dane Vilas, Evan Jones, Wihan Lubbe, and Ferisco Adams have been discharged and will no longer be a member of the squad.
“We are delighted to go into the upcoming auction with a very formidable core of capped and uncapped South African players,” stated Kumar Sangakkara, Director of Cricket for the Royals, in response to the South African retentions. It was crucial to reevaluate the team and make some adjustments following the disappointing season in which we faded in the later stages of the competition. We think the players we recruit at the auction will further enhance this core, which has a variety of qualities and will provide a strong foundation.”
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“At the same time, we had to make a number of tough choices that would have affected the balance of our team, such as parting ways with someone like Tabraiz Shamsi, who had contributed significantly to the team over the previous two seasons. Players that have been with us for the past two seasons include Ferisco Adams, Dane Vilas, Evan Jones, and Wihan Lubbe. We at the Royals want to express our gratitude to them for their support of the team and wish them the best in the future,” Sangakkara continued.
Retained:
1. David Miller
2. Lungi Ngidi
3. Bjorn Fortuin
4. Andile Phehlukwayo
5. Mitchell van Buuren
6. Codi Yusuf
7. Keith Dudgeon
8. Nqaba Peter
9. Kwena Maphaka
10. Lhuan-dre Pretorius
Traded:
Out – Tabraiz Shamsi (to Joburg Super Kings)
In – Dayyaan Galiem (from Joburg Super Kings)
Released:
1. Dane Vilas
2. Evan Jones
3. Wihan Lubbe
4. Ferisco Adams
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