CricketZA

Cricket South Africa Director of Cricket, Graeme Smith announced this morning that South African cricketers who have taken Kolpak contracts would indeed be welcomed back should they choose to return. Smith said in a video press conference, With Kolpak coming to an end, I guess the willingness is always to have our best players in the system," Smith told reporters via a video conference. "It is up to the players to come back into the system and to make decisions on their careers. "From our perspective, we want to encourage all our best players to play here domestically, and then give themselves the opportunity to be selected for the national side." Great Britain is set to leave the European Union at the end of this year, a move which has the unintended consequence of ending the Kolpak rule. Under the Kolpak rule, players from a country which has agreements with the European Union, like South Africa, are not considered foreign players, a distinction which proves v...

Kyle Abbot has signed a three-year extension with County side Hampshire, which has effectively ended any hopes of a return to international cricket. Abbott, who a few days ago took 17 wickets in a First Class cricket game, stated he had no regrets about his choice to take a Kolpak contract in 2017. Abbot, who has averaged 60 wickets a season in his three seasons with Hampshire is now tied to the club through to the 2021 season. Abbot: "I am delighted to have signed a new three-year contract with Hampshire. We have a great coaching staff and bunch of players all striving to achieve success for the club, and I look forward to contributing to winning trophies in the coming years." With the threat of Brexit, there probably was an accent for players to make immediate decisions. The England Cricket Board said in an email that should England leave the European Union without a deal by the end of 2019, new Kolpak applications would become void , but they would honour all exis...