Faf Du Plessis has been playing consistently in the T20 franchise league since retiring from Test cricket in February 2021, most recently taking Royal Challengers Bangalore to third place in this year’s Indian Premier League.
The former No. 3 ranked T20I batsman played his only Big Bash match for Melbourne Renegades in BBL|02. Prior to that Faf Du Plessis gave his player-of-the-match performance on his Test debut, where he smashed the Australian attack with 376 deliveries during a match as well as an unbeaten century in the second innings that helped South Africa to achieve the famous draw.
The 37-year-old has scored 7608 runs in his 293-match T20I career at an average of 31.18, including 468 in his opening batting during IPL 2022, and is one of the world’s most athletic fielders and respected on-field captains.
His nomination was confirmed along with countryman Riley Rossouw, who is currently the third leading run-scorer in England’s T20 Blast with 498 at a strike rate of 191.53 in 12 matches with Somerset. Rossouw was included in South Africa’s T20 squad last night to face England this northern summer, putting him in line for an international return after six years.
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Namibian T20 World Cup star player David Wiese has also been nominated for the draft after an outstanding Pakistan Super League campaign with champions Lahore Qalandars, taking nine wickets and 168 runs at a strike rate of 184.61, including 28 from just eight balls in the final.
Merchant de Lange, the fourth South African-born player to be nominated for the draft, is also expected to make his Big Bash debut later this year. The 31-year-old two-metre pacer has played for South Africa in all three formats. and bowled a lethal 4-9 in three overs for Somerset in this year’s T20 Blast.