David Wiese to captain St Lucia Kings in CPL 2025

David Wiese has been named captain of the St Lucia Kings, the defending champions, for CPL 2025, starting next week.

St Lucia had won the title under the leadership of Faf du Plessis, who had opted to play in the Hundred over the CPL this year, but has since withdrawn from that competition too for groin surgery.

“I am absolutely humbled to be named your captain,” Wiese said while thanking the franchise and the fans. “This season, we will be playing with passion, heart and unity. You will see us give everything for each other and for you. And fans, we need you with us to pack the stadiums, lift the vibe and let’s paint Saint Lucia blue. Let’s make this a special season.”

Wiese had played a crucial role for the franchise last year, scoring 121 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 168.05 and an average of 40.33. With the ball, he picked up 13 wickets with an economy rate of 8.34.

“David Wiese has been a part of the family for a long time,” head coach Daren Sammy said. “He has been with us for a number of years and has put on some excellent performances. We cannot wait to start our first home game on August 23rd. We know Saint Lucia Kings are the best fans and you will come out at Daren Sammy Cricket Ground and paint it blue, as you support our new captain and our team.”

Wiese has been with St Lucia since 2021 and has played 26 matches for them overall. Although he has represented South Africa between 2013 to 2016, Wiese has played cricket for Namibia till his retirement in 2024.

That makes him the first player from an Associate team to be full-time captain at a franchise competition run by a Test nation.

He has previously captained Lahore Qalandars and Northern Superchargers in the PSL and Hundred respectively as one-offs.

St Lucia had recently signed Tim David, picking him as their first-round pick at the draft. The CPL starts on August 14 with a clash between St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.

St Lucia start their campaign on August 17 against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in North Sound. (ESPNcricinfo)