Summary South African fast bowler Beyers Swanepoel is now expected to be available for Worcestershire's next match, at home against Kent from April 24.
LONDON (Web Desk) - South African all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel has been granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) by Cricket South Africa (CSA), which will allow him to play for Worcestershire in the 2026 County Championship season. He still faces disciplinary action by CSA but his NOC was provided following the termination of his contract with Lions, his South African domestic team. Swanepoel is currently in training with Worcestershire and is expected to be available for their next match, at home against Kent from April 24.
News of Swanepoel's NOC - which he had not obtained when he walked out on Lions during the One-Day Challenge final to catch a flight to the United Kingdom - came on Sunday. Worcestershire posted on X: "Worcestershire County Cricket Club can confirm that it has now received Beyers Swanepoel's No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Cricket South Africa. Beyers is now able to begin training with the squad and building up his match fitness ahead of our next fixture against Kent at New Road from 24 April."
In a statement, CSA said that it had received a "formal demand" for the immediate issuance of the NOC following correspondence on April 10 by his legal representatives.
"We remain mindful of athletes' constitutional rights, including the right to choose a trade, occupation or profession freely, subject to lawful and reasonable regulation," CSA chief executive Pholetsi Moseki said. "At the same time, we are obliged to uphold our governance framework, contractual standards, and codes of conduct in the interests and reputation of the game."
ESPNcricinfo has established that CSA will still conduct disciplinary action into Swanepoel's conduct after he left Lions with seven overs to go in the final and did not inform anyone of his plans. Given the nature of his departure, which was not injury enforced, Lions were forced to finish the game with ten players and lost on the penultimate ball to Titans. By then, Swanepoel had bowled his full quota of ten overs and taken 3 for 44. It has yet to be established who booked his flight for the same day as the game. Swanepoel's deadline for responding to charges was Thursday last week (April 9).
Swanepoel has been charged by CSA with a Level 4 offence for bringing the game into disrepute. If found guilty, could face a ban which could range between five four-day matches and ten one-day matches, which may yet affect his availability for Worcestershire. It is also possible that Swanepoel would have to serve his sanction, if any, in South Africa. He is currently uncontracted in South Africa but could find a domestic deal before the contracting window closes on May 4.
For now, he is expected to be back in action in England. He missed Worcestershire's first two matches, against Derbyshire and Middlesex, as he had yet to receive his NOC. Worcestershire signed Oliver Hannon-Dalby on a short-term loan from Warwickshire last week to cover for Swanepoel's absence.
