Parnell readies for Worcestershire bow ahead of home summer

South Africa allrounder Wayne Parnell will play for Worcestershire until mid-September in both the Vitality Blast and County Championship first division as part of his preparation for the home summer.

Parnell recently returned to action from a shoulder injury that had sidelined him since the start of the year. He finished as the top wicket-taker for the Edmonton Royals at the Global T20 in Canada, with six wickets from six matches at 22.50.

"It was encouraging to be back again after the long layoff and finishing as the leading wicket-taker was good," Parnell said. "My goal is to get Worcestershire to the quarter-final of their T20 league and also to keep them in the first division, as they are currently in last place."

Parnell will be available for the remaining six Vitality Blast group matches and the knockouts, and four of the remaining six county championship matches. He will return to South Africa to play for his domestic franchise, Cobras, and has made himself available across all formats. "I fully believe in my unique skill set and I back my ability with bat and ball to contribute to Worcestershire and the Cape Cobras' cause," Parnell said.

Whether that will be enough to see Parnell back in contention for the South African squad and for the World Cup next year, is a matter of speculation. Parnell lost his national contract ahead of the 2018-19 season and has not played international cricket since a Test against Bangladesh in October, at home, last year.