Paarl Royals announced their 15-member retained squad on Thursday for the upcoming edition of South Africa's T20 cricket league, SA20 2024.
Paarl Royals retain core team for SA20 2024
Showing confidence in their core lineup, the Royals have retained 12 of their South African players along with three overseas players.
Among the high-profile Protean retentions are attacking batters David Miller and Wihan Lubbe, deft spinners Tabraiz Shamsi and Bjorn Fortuin, speedster Lungi Ngidi, and versatile all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo.
Joining them in the local contingent will be wicket-keeper Dane Vilas and exciting talents such as Mitchell van Buuren, Ferisco Adams, Codi Yusuf, and Evan Jones.
Boosting the squad's international clout, the Royals, who reached semifinals last year, have renewed the contracts of three foreign players. SA20's top run-scorer in 2023, Jos Buttler, explosive opener Jason Roy, and West Indies pacer Obed McCoy are all set to don the Royals' colours again.
The Royals have also handed a contract to the 17-year-old pace prodigy, Kwena Maphaka. Notably, the signing marks Maphaka as the youngest player ever to enter the ranks of SA20.
While the squad is rich with returning talent, they will feel the absence of English veteran Eoin Morgan, who hung up his boots earlier this year.
Additionally, the team has parted ways with all-rounder Corbin Bosch, trading him to Pretoria, while spinner Imraan Manack, Windies' seamer Ramon Simmonds, and Ireland's Paul Stirling have been released.
Speaking up on the Paarl Royals’ squad for SA20 2024, Royals' Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara stated that last season's SA20 was a positive experience for all involved, particularly as it was their first time.
He reckoned that they have made the decision to retain a central group of players, with a focus on a majority of talented South Africans, complemented by the addition of experienced international players.
"It was a good first-time experience for everyone associated with SA20 last season, and there were plenty of learnings for us as a team. As we venture into a new season, we have decided to stick with a core of players which consists of a majority of top-quality South African talent, along with some experienced international players,” said Sangakkara.
Paarl Royals Retained and Pre-Signed Players for SA20 2024
Paarl Royals team in photoshoot (Twitter)
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