South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has pulled out of the 2024 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) due to an unstated family emergency. Klaasen, who was supposed to link up with the Saint Lucia Kings for CPL 2024, hasn't been in action since the Major League Cricket in July and recently missed the T20 series against the West Indies as well.
The Kings have named New Zealand keeper-batter Tim Seifert as his replacement. Seifert is a CPL veteran having played for the Trinbago Knight Riders for a number of years and also won the title with the franchise in 2020.
Klaasen last played in the CPL in 2022 for the Guyana Amazon Warriors scoring 118 runs in five innings, before he transformed himself into one of the best hitters in the format for South Africa and various franchise leagues around the world.
Elsewhere, Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe's limited-overs captain announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he will not take part in the CPL due to an injury. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are yet to announce a replacement for Raza.
The Patriots have already called up Tabraiz Shamsi and Anrich Nortje as replacements for Wanindu Hasaranga and Nuwan Thushara respectively while the new franchise Antigua and Barbuda Falcons signed up Sam Billings, the two-time Hundred-winning captain, as a replacement for Afghanistan all-rounder-Azmatullah Omarzai.
Trinbago Knight Riders have called up USA wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous as a temporary replacement for Tim David, who will be available after four games due to his international commitments with Australia for Scotland and England T20Is.
On the other hand, Barbados Royals will miss the South Africa duo of David Miller and Keshav Maharaj for the first couple of games due to their involvement in the Cricket South Africa (CSA) awards on September 5. The Royals have signed up Dunith Wellalage and Shamarh Brooks as temporary replacements.
