Johannesburg - Faf du Plessis will warm-up for the inaugural SA20 season with a stint at the Perth Scorchers in Australia’s Big Bash League next month.
The former Proteas captain was originally set as one of the 12 marquee players for the BBL, but was overlooked at the draft in August due to his commitments next year with the Joburg Super Kings in the SA20, which starts on January 10.
However, the Scorchers required a replacement player after Englishman Laurie Evans' positive result on an anti-doping test. Evans, who was the Player of the BBL Final last year, faces a ban of up to four years.
The defending four-time BBL champions have therefore opted to call up Du Plessis. The 38-year-old is currently on his book tour after releasing his autobiography “Through the Fire” earlier this month.
Du Plessis is expected to be available for the Scorchers' first seven games of the season – including their season opening grand final rematch against the Sydney Sixers at Perth Stadium on December 17 – before returning home to join the Joburg Super Kings.
"The first thing that jumps to mind is that Perth are four-time champions, which is very impressive. Any player who plays around the world wants to win competitions, so it's a great franchise to be part of," Du Plessis said.
"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.”
Du Plessis has previously had great success in Perth, having led the Proteas to a famous Test win over Australia at the Waca back in 2016.
However, the Scorchers now play their matches at the Perth Stadium, and Du Plessis is excited to be playing at the new venue.
"It looks like (Perth Stadium) is probably the quickest wicket in the world,” he said.
"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."
IOL Sport