The Highveld Lions and the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins were still locked in negotiations on Saturday over a possible player transfer following Vaughn van Jaarsveld’s shock decision to sign with the coastal franchise.
Although Van Jaarsveld is contracted with the Lions until April 2011 – the end of the current season – he signed a contract with the Dolphins earlier this season which commences from the start of the 2011/12 season. Van Jaarsveld’s move came like “a bolt out of the blue”, according to Lions coach Dave Nosworthy. “I only found out last weekend. It’s obviously very disappointing. He’s a bloody valuable player,” said Nosworthy.
The Sunday Independent understands Van Jaarsveld didn’t inform his current employers about his move and that Nosworthy only found out after being told by his counterpart at the Dolphins, Graham Ford, during last week’s SuperSport Series match between the two sides at the Wanderers.
Van Jaarsveld was subsequently cut from the Lions’s squad for the MTN40. The Lions play their first match of that competition against the Chevrolet Knights in Potchefstroom today. The Lions’s acting chief executive, Jacques Faul, was still in talks with Dolphins CEO Jesse Chellan and the SA Cricketers Association over a possible transfer deal.
The Lions decided not to make Van Jaarsveld a counter offer – “we don’t want to force a guy to play for us who doesn’t want to,” one senior official said – and many within the franchise are said to be disappointed given the support they’d provided to Van Jaarsveld over the years.
The big left-hander was forced to make a grovelling apology two years ago to then Lions CEO Alan Kourie after reneging on a contract and claiming he wanted to qualify for England after signing a contract with Warwickshire.
This season, Van Jaarsveld has been the Lions’ leading run-scorer in the SuperSport Series with 407 runs in four matches including a century and two 50s.
“He gave no reasons, but I’m not too worried, it’s his prerogative. I’ve left this with the board and I’ve got to get on with preparing the team for today,” said Nosworthy. “One of the things I wanted to do here was build depth and I think we’ve done that. We’ve got guys here who want to play for the Lions. Vaughn is a big hitter and a dangerous player, but all this does, is give an opportunity for others.”
Van Jaarsveld isn’t the first player the Dolphins have spirited away from Johannesburg. Before the start of the season, they also signed talented left-hand batsman Devon Conway and left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, the latter a particularly bitter pill for Nosworthy and his coaching staff to swallow given the amount of work they’d put into him in recent seasons.
Nosworthy’s mood hasn’t been helped by medical advice that Jonathan Vandiar – who the Lions grabbed from the Dolphins two years ago – will have to spend a couple of weeks on the sidelines after suffering a recurrence of the right shoulder injury that had been hampering him since he played for South Africa A in Sri Lanka.
“He’s consulted a specialist and it’s in his best interest that he sits out,” said Nosworthy.
Better news for the Lions was the return of Friedel de Wet, who looks likely to play his first competitive match since suffering a stress fracture during the second Test against England last summer.
Sunday’s match starts at 11am.
Highveld Lions (from): Alviro Petersen (capt), Themba Bavuma, Richard Cameron, Werner Coetsee, Stephen Cook, Zander De Bruyn, Friedel De Wet, Robbie Frylinck, Paul Harris, Neil McKenzie, Chris Morris, Ethan O’Reilly, Aaron Phangiso , Thami Tsolekile. - Sunday Independent