CSA hold on to du Plessis

Cricket South Africa has won the battle to keep one of its most talented young players from taking up a Kolpak contract in England.

Titans all-rounder Faf du Plessis was approached by Nottinghamshire to take up a contract, but it would have meant the 22-year-old would have had to turn his back on his country and perhaps try and qualify for England.

“I thought about it a lot,” Du Plessis said, “but in the end I decided to give it a full go in South Africa.”

He would have had to qualify as an English player, in the same way Kevin Pietersen did, to take up the county deal.

CSA’s head of professional cricket, Vincent van der Bijl, was happy with the outcome.

“I’m delighted that Faf has decided to put his heart and soul into becoming a Proteas player,” Van der Bijl said.

SA Cricketers’ Association believes that 15 South Africans signed to franchises have decided to take up Kolpak contracts in the past four years.

This number does not include players such as Pietersen, Nic Pothas, Jonathan Trott and Neil Carter, who are all enjoying successful careers in county cricket.