This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers.
Proteas allrounder Jacques Kallis has signed a two-year deal with the Sydney Thunder franchise to play in the Big Bash T20 league in Australia.
The veteran, who retired from test cricket at the end of 2013, now faces an almost full year of cricket in his bid to be fit and available for selection for next year’s World Cup, also in Australia.
“Jacques will play the ODI series in Sri Lanka, the triangular with Australia in Zimbabwe in August, the ODIs in Australia and New Zealand in October and November and then the Big Bash in Australia,” Kallis’ manager, Dave Rundle, told supersport.com.
“He will miss a few matches towards the end of the Big Bash in order to return home and be available to play in the ODIs against the West Indies. Hopefully he will then return to Australia as part of the Proteas ODI squad for the World Cup in February,” Rundle said.
“One of the key reasons he was so keen to play in the Big Bash was to get as much game time in Australia as possible.”
The Sydney Thunder contract is for two years which will make Kallis another in an increasingly long list of players whose careers are being extended in their 40s by the less physically taxing demands of T20 cricket.
“After the World Cup Jacques will probably play in the Caribbean Premier League as well as the Big Bash and Ram Slam T20,” Rundle said.
