SA20 2023: Paul Stirling replaces Obed McCoy with the Paarl Royals.

Obed McCoy, who withdrew from the premier league after suffering an injury, will be replaced by Paul Stirling.

Paul Stirling, a seasoned hitter from Ireland, is slated to play with Paarl Royals for the remainder of the current SA20 season. Following Obed McCoy’s withdrawal from the premier league due to an injury, this has happened.

The 32-year-old Stirling will be available for selection when the team plays Pretoria Capitals on January 7 in its last group stage game. The Paarl Royals announced the new signing who will take McCoy’s place on Twitter using their official account.

PS: He’s here now. Say hello to Paul Stirling, who will be playing for the remainder of the season in place of Obed McCoy,” the SA20 franchise captioned.

Stirling recently finished his ILT20 match in Dubai, where his team, the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, was unable to qualify for the play-offs. The Irish talisman totaled 168 runs in the six innings he played during their fairly disappointing first season.

Stirling formerly played for Paarl Rocks in the Mzansi Super League Twenty20 and has much experience playing in Africa. The experienced batsman has played in 120 T20 Internationals for Ireland and has scored 3181 runs, with his top total coming against Zimbabwe in 2021 at an undefeated 115 runs.

The Paarl Royals are on the verge of qualifying for the semifinals.

It is important to note that the team is poised to advance to the semifinals of the first SA20 tournament. With 19 points, Paarl is now tied for fourth place with Durban’s Super Giants and Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

Both of the aforementioned clubs have, however, finished their seasons, with Sunrisers securing their spot in the semifinals thanks to a higher net run rate (+0.316). Paarl, on the other hand, is hanging by a thread with just one game left with a net run rate of 0.050.

Regardless of the net run rate, a victory over Pretoria Capitals on Tuesday will guarantee their place in the final four. In order to advance, Paarl will essentially need to maintain a higher net run rate, while Durban is positioned slightly behind them with a negative NRR of 0.319.