After walking out of the domestic One Day Cup final, Beyers Swanepoel has lost both his contracts, with the Lions and Worcestershire.
Double blow for Beyers Swanepoel
Swanepoel was part of the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge final. Playing for the Lions against the Titans, he made six runs before taking 3-44 in his 10 overs. However, he left the ground thereafter (around the 43rd over of the chase). The Lions were not allowed a substitute fielder (since Swanepoel was neither injured nor ill, nor did he leave the ground under exceptional circumstances), and Duan Jansen helped the Titans clinch a thriller.
It later transpired that Swanepoel had left the final midway to pursue a stint with Worcestershire without having acquired a signed NOC from Cricket South Africa. Without the NOC, his Worcestershire stint could not go ahead.
That was far from being the end of Swanepoel’s woes, as the Lions terminated his contract as well, as they confirmed in a social media post. “It has been an unfortunate period for all parties involved but now we have brought the matter to a close, allowing everyone to move forward,” said Lions CEO Jono Leaf-Wright. “At Lions Cricket, we hold ourselves to the highest professional standards and take matters of this nature very seriously.”
The post also included an apology from Swanepoel: “First and foremost, I would like to thank Lions Cricket for the opportunity to represent the Union – I loved my season representing the Pride [the Lions] and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I sincerely apologise to the entire Lions family for what transpired in the Final and can assure everyone that many lessons have been learnt.”
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