Overseas player update: Head, van Zyl, Khan and Wiese

Sussex Cricket look forward to welcoming Travis Head to the club in 2021, alongside the returning Stiaan van Zyl.

The club are also hopeful of welcoming Rashid Khan back to Hove next summer, depending on his Afghanistan commitments, after it was mutually agreed he would miss the 2020 Vitality Blast due to his contracts in the CPL and IPL.

Head and van Zyl were also due to represent Sussex this season, but the uncertainty around how much cricket would be played and travel restrictions meant their contracts were deferred a year.

Head has played 17 Test matches for Australia, scoring 1,091 runs at an average of 41.96, including a top score of 161 vs. Pakistan in February last year.

The 26-year-old has also scored 1,273 ODI runs, with a century coming against Pakistan at his home ground, the Adelaide Oval - where he also led the Strikers to their maiden Big Bash title in 2018.

Van Zyl became the 100th batsman to score a century on his Test debut when he finished unbeaten on 101* against West Indies in 2014, and since joining Sussex in 2017, the South African has shown his supreme talent with the bat.

In total, the 33-year-old has scored 11,132 first-class runs at an average of 44.35, and his most recent County Championship ton came in a memorable win at Lord’s last year.

Khan has also enjoyed some unforgettable moments in a Sussex shirt, with the Afghanistan superstar taking 24 wickets in 20 appearances at an economy rate of just 6.97 since arriving in Hove two years ago.

The world’s number one T20 bowler also recently passed the impressive milestone of 300 T20 wickets at the age of just 22.

van Zyl will play as an overseas cricketer – and not a Kolpak player – in 2021. This is because from December 31 2020, the UK’s transition period with the EU ends, and Kolpak deals will no longer exist.

Because of this ruling, David Wiese will not return to Sussex for all formats in 2021, but the club still hope to agree a T20 contract with the South African.

Wiese has enjoyed four fantastic years with Sussex since making his debut against Somerset in the 2016 Blast.

During his time at The 1st Central County Ground, Wiese has impressed with bat and ball across all formats, with highlights including his maiden County Championship century against Warwickshire in 2018, a T20 five-fer against Essex during the same season and his stunning 171 vs. Hampshire in 2019 in the RL50 – the highest score in Sussex Sharks history.

The 35-year-old was also in brilliant form throughout this year’s Blast campaign, scoring 281 runs at an average of 40.14. His best  display came at Lord’s, with Wiese hitting a career-best 79* to seal the Sharks a thrilling win.