ALL THE BETWAY SA20 PLAYERS AT THE ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY

A total of 23 Betway SA20-signed players will feature at the ICC Champions Trophy being held in Pakistan and the UAE.

Besides South Africa (14 players), the League are also represented in the final squads of Afghanistan (5), England (2) and New Zealand (2).

With New Zealand finding themselves in Group A (alongside hosts and defending champions Pakistan as well as Bangladesh and India), Joburg’s Super Kings’ Devon Conway and Durban’s Super Giants’ Kane Williamson will have to wait until the knockout stage before facing recent foes from South Africa’s premier T20 franchise league.

Both arrive in Pakistan in good form with Conway (272 runs) having finished ninth on the Season 3 run charts and Williamson (233) in 12th place as DSG’s highest scorer.

Group B contains Australia (sans recently-retired DSG all-rounder, Marcus Stoinis), Afghanistan, England and South Africa.

A third of Afghanistan’s squad played in SA20 Season 3, including the MI Cape Town trio of Rashid Khan, Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai. Rashid had the honour of lifting the trophy after the Final at the Wanderers but also contributed 12 wickets and 8 catches to MICT’s cause. Sediqullah scored a particularly impressive 74 against Pretoria Capitals at Newlands while Azmatullah started the first week of campaign in the Playing XI before making way.

DSG’s Noor Ahmad, whose 13 wickets was the second-most in Season 3 and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored a memorable 89 for Pretoria Capitals on SA20 debut against Noor and co complete the quintet hoping to guide a highly-talented Afghanistan team to a maiden international title. Capitals coach, Jonathan Trott remains in the same role with the ‘Atalan’ too.

England, meanwhile, can call on Liam Livingstone and Joe Root. The former had a short four-match stint as Capitals’ Wildcard before joining up with England while Root showed his class in compiling 279 runs (Paarl Royals second-most) and taking 5 handy wickets before his own departure for international duty.

South Africa, of course, provide the bulk of the SA20 stars looking to back up their Season 3 form by impressing in the Champions Trophy. Not least the MI Cape Town quartet of Rassie van der Dussen (second on the run charts with 393), Ryan Rickelton (4th, 336 runs), Kagiso Rabada (7th most wickets with 12) and late Proteas inclusion, Corbin Bosch (10th, 11 wickets). Similarly, Marco Jansen showed his all-round ability (19 wickets and 204 runs) to claim the Betway Player of the Season honour alongside the best bowler award. Aiden Markram (3rd, 340 runs) and David Miller (11th, 234 runs) once again captained their respective teams, Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Paarl Royals, with aplomb and will hope to use that to full affect in conditions which don’t necessarily suit the natural strengths.

BETWAY SA20 SEASON 3 PLAYERS AT THE ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY

Afghanistan: Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Sediqullah Atal (all MI Cape Town), Noor Ahmad (Durban’s Super Giants), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Pretoria Capitals).

England: Liam Livingstone (Pretoria Capitals), Joe Root (Paarl Royals)

New Zealand: Devon Conway (Joburg Super Kings), Kane Williamson (Durban’s Super Giants)

South Africa: Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen (all MI Cape Town), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs (all Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder (all Durban’s Super Giants), David Miller, Lungi Ngidi (both Paarl Royals), Tabraiz Shamsi (Joburg Super Kings).