3 reasons why Joburg Super Kings signing Devon Conway for SA20 2025 is the wrong move
Devon Conway made the headlines recently for his refusal to sign a long-term contract with New Zealand Cricket and choosing, instead, a short-term casual agreement in which he would be available for most international matches.
However, this agreement also states that he will not be available for the white-ball leg of New Zealand's home series against Sri Lanka in January 2025, which gives him time to participate in the SA20 tournament.
On Friday, August 16, meanwhile, SA20 franchise Joburg Super Kings announced that they have signed Conway for the 2025 edition of the tournament. This will be the third Super Kings team Conway will be playing for; he already represents Chennai and Texas in the IPL and MLC, respectively.
In this listicle, we take a look at three reasons why Joburg signing Conway is the wrong move:
#1 Joburg have enough top-order batters
Joburg have enough top-order batters in their ranks and it seems futile for them to add another to their ranks. With the likes of Faf du Plessis, Jonny Bairstow, Reeza Hendricks, and Leus de Ploy already in their side, it will be interesting to see where they fit Conway in.
The Kiwi will have an advantage given that he is a southpaw but it will be quite a challenge for the management to decide whom to back in this star-studded top order. Conway comes with a lot of experience and will therefore expect to play a big role in the team.
#2 They could have gone for someone more attacking
Joburg may have made a big mistake by signing Conway as they already have du Plessis and du Plooy at the top who can anchor their innings as well as guide them through the pitfalls of the middle overs. The Kiwi is also a player in a similar mould and is not expected to add much value.
Instead of going for Conway, Joburg could have signed an attacking middle-order batter who could have capitalized on working singles around when the spinners are on and punished loose deliveries in the middle overs when the fielders are spread across the field.
#3 He may not fit in the right combinations
Another factor that might go against the Kiwi wicketkeeper-batter is that he may not be able to fit into the combinations created by the team management. Having already signed a wicketkeeper-batter in Jonny Bairstow earlier this month, it made little sense for the franchise to go for another in Conway.
Although this will be the first time Conway plays cricket for a Johannesburg-based franchise (the city where he was born), it will be interesting to see who the side asks to don the big gloves and bat in the top order. If he fails to fit into their combinations, it would have been a wasteful signing.