The St. Lucia Kings have been dealt a major blow ahead of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024, as star South African wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen has withdrawn from the tournament due to personal reasons. Klaasen, who has consistently demonstrated his prowess in the shorter formats, will miss the entire season, leaving a significant void in the Kings’ lineup.
Klaasen’s withdrawal comes at a crucial time for the St. Lucia Kings, who had high hopes for his performance this season. The team moved quickly to find a replacement, naming New Zealand’s Tim Seifert to take on a similar role. Seifert, a dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman, brings with him a wealth of experience and a proven track record in T20 cricket. He previously won the CPL title with Trinbago Knight Riders in 2020 and is expected to be a valuable addition to the Kings.
Klaasen, who was signed by St. Lucia Kings in June ahead of the CPL draft, has been a standout performer in T20 leagues worldwide. He played five matches for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL 2022, making a name for himself as a destructive batsman with a career strike rate of 150.18 in the format.
Sikandar Raza Ruled out of CPL 2024
In addition to Klaasen, the CPL 2024 has seen other notable withdrawals. Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza has been ruled out of the tournament due to an unspecified injury. Raza announced his decision on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and his team, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, are yet to name a replacement.
Meanwhile, Australian all-rounder Tim David, signed by Trinbago Knight Riders as a pre-draft pick, will only join the team after the first four matches. The Knight Riders have temporarily signed USA’s Andries Gous to cover for David’s absence.
The Barbados Royals have also made temporary signings, bringing in Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage and Caribbean cricketer Shamarh Brooks to replace South Africans Keshav Maharaj and David Miller, who will miss the first two matches to attend the Cricket South Africa awards on September 5th.
