Ex-SWD batsman in Protea squad
Cricket South Africa (CSA) last week named former SWD batting star Christiaan Jonker as a new member of the Standard Bank Proteas squad for the three-match KFC T20 international series against India later this month.
"Christiaan Jonker has been one of the most explosive finishers in domestic T20 cricket in recent seasons and his selection gives players who have performed well at franchise level the opportunity to show that they can compete at the highest level," Linda Zondi, the convenor of the selectors, said.
Jonker now plays for the Warriors. He made his first-class debut for North West before he moved to SWD in 2011. In his first season with SWD (2011/12), he scored 1 189 first-class runs, the most in South Africa for that particular season, at an average of 59.45.
"That performance opened the door for him as he received a professional contract from the Warriors franchise, where he made his mark at the higher level," Albertus Kennedy, chief executive officer of SWD cricket, said.
"Jonker is a very destructive batsman, especially in the shorter version of the game. He is also known in cricket circles as the 'Boere Dhoni', where his style of play is linked to the Indian cricket legend, Mahendra Singh Dhoni," Kennedy said.
"I really enjoyed my time with SWD and will always be grateful for the opportunity I got with SWD to build my career," Jonker said.