Global T20 Canada: Faf du Plessis signs off with blazing fifty
Faf du Plessis announced at the toss yesterday that the game between the Edmonton Royals and the Montreal Tigers would be his last of the current edition of the Global T20 Canada.
He signed off with an exhilarating innings which lasted 20 balls but had all the shots in the book. From the scoop over the keeper to a six over extra cover, Faf treated Canadian fans to batting of the highest calibre.
The current captain of the South African cricket team, Faf, after a disappointing campaign for his country, decided to head out to Canada to feature in the GT20 tournament. He was named the captain of the Edmonton Royals, a team which also consists of international stars such as James Neesham, Shadab Khan, Mohammed Hafeez and Ben Cutting.
Despite losing their first three games from winning positions, Edmonton have been the team to watch out for, with their international players producing some mesmerizing individual performances.
Unfortunately, though, they have lost out on key moments; yesterday, they failed to defend 18 runs off the last over as Neesham was struck for some big sixes by Montreal's tail-end batsmen. It was far from the ideal way to end the tournament on a personal note for du Plessis, as his team failed to register a single win despite boasting a star-studded lineup.
Nonetheless, Canada witnessed high-quality international batting by South Africa's captain, as he entertained the crowds with some mesmerizing shots whenever he was at the crease.
In his last match, Faf scored a whirlwind 55 off 20 balls with a mix of proper cricketing shots and some cheeky dabs. Although his innings was not enough to win the match for his team, it was a delight to watch, especially for fans in Canada, who were witnessing such a high-class player in action for the first time.
With many international cricketers joining the league this year, it has improved the quality of cricket and the only way is up for the GT20. Faf will be missed for the rest of the tournament, but the Canadian faithful will never forget his batting.