BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados Tridents were yesterday dealt a major blow in their Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign when AB de Villiers was forced out of the tournament because of Cricket South Africa commitments.
Organisers said the 32-year de Villiers, along with Tridents teammate Wayne Parnell and fast bowler Dale Steyn of Jamaica Tallawahs, had been “recalled by Cricket South Africa to fulfil a contractual obligation to attend the annual Cricket South Africa/South African Cricketers Association Awards ceremony which takes place in Johannesburg.”
De Villiers and Parnell will be replaced by Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad and Proteas fast bowler Marchant de Lange while Tallawahs have called up another South African, Dane Paterson, for the departing Steyn.
Shehzad, a right-handed opener who has played 140 Twenty20s, will join Tridents in time for their game on Wednesday against Tallawahs at Sabina Park while de Lange will be available from the start of the St Lucia leg on Thursday.
Paterson, meanwhile, will also join the Tallawahs ahead of the St. Lucia leg.
de Villiers has been an invaluable member of the Tridents side, gathering 234 runs from five outings, at an average of 58 with two half-centuries.
With his form, Tridents are currently third in the standings on seven points two adrift of second placed Tallawahs and three behind leaders Guyana Amazon Warriors.
De Villiers, South Africa’s Test captain, was picked up in the CPL draft last February for US$130 000.
