Stiaan van Zyl

As I've commented earlier in  the thread, there is a concern that Van Zyl has lost form very considerably over the last year or so. It may be because he was played out of positioin when picked for South Africa, but it could also be that he has lost self-confidence after a poor run in the South Africa and Sourth Africa A sides. I'm sure that the sense of disappointment he felt was a contributory factor to his interest in and acceptance of the Sussex offer, and a three-year contract does suggest a degree of determionation to find another path to success.

Meanwhile there is a hiatus in the South African first-class and List A competitions while the CSA T20 takes place. Van Zyl isn't in the squad for the Cabe Cobras T20 team so perhaps he has a space to recharge his batteries?

Is there a Proteas conspiracy at work?

ECB young county cricket journalist, Will Macpherson, ‏Twitter

That's now 3 players to represent South Africa in last year (Harmer, van Zyl, now Hardus Nails)
signed up as kolpaks in county cricket. Mmm.

Kent supporters really hacked off that Viljoen has prefered Derbyshire over them, as his signing at the end of last season finally gave Matt Coles a decent new ball partner.

That Kent do not at present have a coach is making it difficult for them to attract players. But assistant coach Matt Walker  is claiming  that basically they lost out  because Derbyshire have more money. He told a Kent members Xmas carvery last week that  the Derby package was worth £170k and that Kent had put a ceiling budget of £120k on the signing.

Those figures are not purely salary, of course. They include first-class  air tickets, six months accommodation and car hire and the costs of  at least one family visit.  But Derbyshire's ambition has to be commended.

Hhs,

The arrangement provides players with greater job security, but also greater remuneration; with the Rand weak, Van Zyl – who played
12 Tests before being dropped in August – has a contract with Sussex that is understood to be worth roughly three times as much as
his deal with the Cobras in Cape Town.

I have no idea what Macpherson is talking about and I suspect nor does he. If you look at the Rand v Pound currency 2 year chart below,
levels are similar to what they were 24 months ago. There has been a dip during the interim period agreed but not now.

Whether it be the Stock Market or Currency Exchange there is always a massive risk guessing the financial future and I cannot believe, for
one second, that professional cricketers are also astute currency traders and have chosen to play in England because of the perceived future 
Rand weakness against the pound.

As for the claim that Zyl's contract with Sussex is "roughly three times as much" as his previous Cobras deal, what does he base this information
on? Just as what hearsay made him suggest Jon Filby could become the next Sussex CCC Chairman? 

Macpherson may be the "ECB Young County Cricket Journalist of the Year" but god forbid he becomes another George Dobell or Lizzie Ammon and
the spurious claims and fantasies that may follow. He's doing a good job of it so far though. Perhaps, Macpherson should keep wearing that jockey
cap of his and become a light comic entertainer with a Geordie accent instead?

Q: Pssst! Why is money called dough?
A: Because we all knead it!

www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=ZAR&to=GBP&view=2Y

ps: according to 'reliable sources' AB De Villers received a salary of £120k last year from CSA. That's top of the scale for the captain and best player, so work downwards from there and you will realise how little Van Zyl is making in SA...

 De Villiers has lucrative sponsorships and deals with Investec and others that will more than double his income - and the good life in SA is very cheap compared to Europe  (£4.50 top price for a Test match ticket at the Wanderers!)

But the core element paid by CSA is pitifully low and the likes of Van Zyl would not have the same capacity for 'topping up' the  basic pay with the kind of deals someone like De Villiers can attract, of course...