Former South African skipper Faf du Plessis will make a return to the Big Bash League after being signed by the Perth Scorchers as a replacement player for Englishman Laurie Evans.
Evans’ positive result on an anti-doping test has given du Plessis a BBL opportunity after he was originally overlooked in the inaugural overseas player draft.
Evans was man-of-the-match in the Scorchers’ BBL final win over the Sixers last season, but had his contract torn up after the positive test.
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The England and Wales Cricket Board is still yet to make a statement, but Evans faces a potential four year ban under the organisation’s anti-doping code.
Du Plessis joins West Indian star Andre Russell and New Zealand champion Martin Guptill as the third big name international recruit given a second chance after being overlooked for the draft.
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The 38-year-old has had a stellar year in Twenty20 cricket in 2022 and is currently the 13th most prolific batter with 1229 runs at 31.51.
Du Plessis’ Indian Premier League season with Royal Challengers Bangalore saw him blast 468 runs at 31.20 and he backed it up in the Caribbean Premier League for St Lucia Kings with 332 at 41.50.
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However, the Scorchers are likely to only have him for the first seven games of the season, before he heads home to play for Joburg Super Kings in South Africa’s new domestic T20 league.
Still, the Scorchers can replace du Plessis with another replacement player when he departs as they bid to win back-to-back titles in the new year.
“The first thing that jumps to mind is that Perth are four-time champions, which is very impressive,” du Plessis told cricket.com.au.
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Any player who plays around the world wants to win competitions, so it’s a great franchise to be part of.
“I think it’s important to learn from other people and organisations and find out why they’re successful.
“I’m also excited to share my experiences and the things I’ve learned and hopefully that can be a great combination.
“It looks like (Perth Stadium) is probably the quickest wicket in the world.
“Watching the (T20) World Cup, the bounce looked very, very steep. The wickets in South Africa and Australia are quite similar with more pace and bounce than spin, so it is something I’ve grown up with and I’m looking forward to playing in Perth this summer.”
