Dane Paterson, a fast bowler who played in South Africa's most recent two Test matches, is negotiating a Kolpak deal to play county cricket in England, according to Ashwell Prince, his franchise coach.
Former Test batsman Prince said Paterson, 31, was in the final stages of concluding a deal with the unnamed county.
Prince was explaining why Paterson's name was missing from a list of players contracted by the Cape Cobras franchise for the 2020/21 season announced at a press conference on Monday.
Paterson played in the third and fourth Tests against England in January, taking four wickets at an average of 41.50. England won both matches.
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Although Paterson previously played in four one-day internationals and eight Twenty20 internationals for South Africa he was not selected for white-ball matches against England and Australia which followed the England Tests, which Prince said was a factor in the player's decision.
If Paterson concludes a deal, he could be the last of dozens of South Africans to benefit from the Kolpak ruling which allows players from countries with trade deals with the European Union to play sport in the EU without being classified as overseas players.
With Britain having left the EU, Kolpak deals in England are due to expire at the end of the 2020 season, which has been postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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A Cape Cobras spokesman said that Paterson's deal was subject to approval from the England and Wales Cricket Board. If approval was not forthcoming the county would sign Paterson as an overseas player.
