May.17: South Africa star batsman Faf du Plessis is relishing the opportunity to play in the West Indies this summer and believes that the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) can open up a new and exciting chapter in his career when he leads the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots this summer.
Pretoria born du Plessis, 31, will feature in the Proteas squad for their forthcoming tour of the Caribbean and will then captain the Patriots in the fourth edition of the CPL, which is scheduled to take place between 29 June to 7 August.
Speaking exclusively to
www.cplt20.com, du Plessis said that he was excited by the chance to play in the Caribbean for the first time in his career.
"When you look at the amount of international Test, ODI and T20 cricket that's being played around the world, it's funny to think that this will be the first time that I will get to play in the West Indies. I've been fortunate to play for my country for the last five years, but for whatever reason it hasn't come to pass. I guess you could say that it has been a long time coming, but I'm really excited to finally be playing in the Caribbean.
"I've heard nothing but good things about the CPL. Off the field, the Caribbean people are great fans and provide an incredible atmosphere, which I have yet to fully experience. And this year, on it, I think the competition is going to grow from strength to strength with a really high calibre of players across each of the six teams. It will undoubtedly be a step into the unknown because I'm not familiar with the conditions, but that's the kind of challenge you live for as a cricketer.
"After my (finger) injury I'm feeling fresh and ready to get out there and try and be a positive influence for the Proteas and then the Patriots. I just can't wait to get started!"
