England international and former South Africa U19 player, Craig Kieswetter has signed to play for the Warriors in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge.

The wicketkeeper and hard-hitting opening batsman is pleased to be back in South Africa and is excited by the challenge that lies ahead. He feels that the standard of cricket in South Africa is top notch and that it will be a good test of his skills.

‘It’s a beautiful place to be and to play cricket,’ said Kieswetter. ‘The talent available and standard of cricket is very high due to the franchise system. It’s implementation has made the cricket tough and competitive and I want to test myself around the world against the best.

‘I was delighted when the Warriors came in and I’m just excited to be here and get stuck in with the guys.’

Having grown up in the Rainbow Nation, Kieswetter knows all about the challenges the wind came pose at the Warriors base in Port Elizabeth. Bagel, as he is known to his teammates, is determined to add value to the franchise and can’t wait to get onto the field.

‘Hopefully it won’t be as windy as I know PE [Port Elizabeth] to be. I want to help as much as I can on and off the field, passing on any bit of knowledge that I can.

‘It’s an exciting experience for me and I’m relishing it.’

Kieswetter was a member of the England team that beat Australia in the final of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies. He has since fallen out of favour with the English selectors, but his experience of winning the World Twenty20 and participating in the Champions League with his county side, Somerset, should prove invaluable to a young Warriors outfit.

Here are his T20I stats:

Matches	Runs	HS	Average	SR
25	526	63	21.91	111.91

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