Abbott and Rossouw may still play at home
WARRIORS and Knights have confirmed that they will engage England-bound fast bowler Kyle Abbott and batsman Rilee Rossouw respectively to persuade them to continue playing for the franchises.
Abbott and Rossouw announced on Thursday they had signed long-term Kolpak contracts with Hampshire, ruling them out of representing the Proteas but they still qualify to play for their South African franchises during the English off season.
Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa said yesterday they will meet Abbott in the coming days to discuss a way for him to play for them.
“I was as shocked as everyone else when I heard the news on Thursday because this is a loss for the country and us‚ because he [Abbott] had just signed for us from the Dolphins a few months ago‚” Maketa said.
“We will give him a few days to let the storm that has erupted as a result of his decision to subside a little bit and engage how he can continue playing for us.
“I respect his decision because I am sure that he did not take it lightly.”
Abbott played for the Warriors during the CSA T20 Challenge but he could not help the Eastern Cape-based side to victory in the final. They lost to the Titans by six runs in the final at SuperSport Park in December.
In Bloemfontein‚ Free State Cricket Union (FSCU) chief executive Johan van Heerden also indicated that they would be seeking a meeting with Rossouw to find out if he would still be available to play for them.
“The issue now is that he agrees to continue playing for us. I would have to find money somewhere to pay him because he was being paid for by Cricket South Africa (CSA) as a national contracted player,” said Van Heerden.
“He is a huge loss for the game in the country because he is such a wonderful player who came through the ranks and proved that he was good enough to play international cricket.”
He added that he was hopeful that Rossouw would not turn his back completely on South Africa as his family is based in Bloemfontein.
“His wife is in the medical profession here in Bloemfontein and some members of his family are also here‚ so I doubt that he will relocate completely which will make it difficult for him to play for us‚” Van Heerden said.