Middlesex captain Leus du Plooy will leave the club at the end of the season despite having a year remaining on his contract, after choosing to recommit to his native South Africa.
Originally joining Derbyshire in 2019 on a Kolpak deal, du Plooy later used a Hungarian passport to qualify as a domestic player in county cricket. He moved to Middlesex ahead of the 2024 season and had been pursuing English eligibility, but has now reversed course to target a place in the Proteas squad.
Surrendering his local status means du Plooy can only remain at Middlesex as an overseas player, a situation the club has confirmed.
“We are naturally disappointed that Leus will be leaving Middlesex at the end of this season, but are happy to support his decision to further his international aspirations,” Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said.
“He is an ambitious individual who has always made clear his intention to play international cricket. He feels this is the best decision for him to achieve that goal, and we wish him all the best in the future.”
“Leus has given his all in a Middlesex shirt, and we thank him for all he has done for the club in his time here. He will always be welcome back here at Middlesex as an overseas player. Averaging over 50 in first-class cricket for the club marks him as one of our finest performers in this format.”
Du Plooy has been a prolific run-scorer in England, accumulating over 6000 first-class runs and 16 centuries. For Middlesex, he has scored 2795 runs at 51.75 in the County Championship and could still oversee their promotion to Division One, as the club currently sits fourth, 23 points off second place with three rounds remaining.
His local status also allowed him to feature regularly in the Hundred, where he represented Welsh Fire, Southern Brave, and Manchester Super Giants, helping them to the title this summer. However, it required him to sign as an overseas player in the SA20; switching allegiance back to South Africa means he can now be retained as a local by Johannesburg Super Kings for the 2026-27 season.
Du Plooy said: “I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at Middlesex for the incredible support I’ve received during my time at the club, both as a player and as captain. My time at Middlesex has meant a huge amount to me, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities, friendships, memories and experiences I’ve had along the way. It has been a real privilege to represent the club and, in particular, to have had the honour of captaining Middlesex.”
“The decision to leave was an extremely difficult one and certainly not something I have taken lightly. Ultimately, an opportunity has arisen for me to explore the possibility of representing South Africa, and I feel that I owe it to myself to see where that opportunity might lead. It is something I have always dreamed of, but I also understand what an incredible privilege it would be to actually play for my country.”
“I want to make it clear how grateful I am to Middlesex for the way the club has supported me throughout this process. I have been fortunate to have had such a strong relationship with the club, and the understanding and support shown in helping me make this decision has meant a great deal.”
“I will always be incredibly proud of my time at Middlesex. The club will always hold a very special place in my heart, and I’m hugely thankful to everyone who has played a part in my journey.”
