Former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, along with England all-rounder Chris Woakes, has signed with the Durban's Super Giants for the third edition of the SA20 in the very first involvement in the T20 league for both of them. Williamson, who declined the central contract for New Zealand, following the ICC Men's T20 World Cup debacle, expressed his interest in playing the SA20 given he had the month of January empty while staying committed to playing Tests and ODIs for the Black Caps.
“Really excited to be a part of the SA20 this season with Durban's Super Giants. Looking forward to meeting Keshav, Lance and the boys, and playing in front of a packed house at Kingsmead. Can't wait!” Williamson said after confirming the signing. putting pen to paper.
Williamson, who stepped down as the white-ball captain for New Zealand, will be joining Brandon King in new signings for the runners-up Durban side, alongside Woakes. Earlier this month while talking to the reporters, Williamson had said, "There's a number of great competitions on during that time, but SA20 looks really exciting."
"Unfortunately, it meant turning down a central contract. However, my priority still is, absolutely, playing for New Zealand. Think I miss maybe a handful of games over a three-week period," Williamson added. New Zealand are scheduled to play a T20I and three ODIs against Sri Lanka in January and Williamson is likely to miss that assignment in all likelihood.
On the other hand, Woakes too will be playing in the SA20 for the first time and joins his England teammates in joining the tournament. Joe Root has signed with the Paarl Royals while Ben Stokes has received a huge contract from MI Cape Town.
The third edition of the SA20 is set to kick off on January 9 with the final slated for February 8. The teams have a deadline of announcing retentions till July 21 and August 31 for direct signings before the player auction.
