David Wiese joined a sudden outflow of South Africa players into county cricket in the close season of 2016-17 when, at 31, he signed a three-year deal with Sussex, joining his compatriot Stiaan van Zyl. Wiese had not played international cricket since March 2016, and shunned a call-up for a home T20 series against Sri Lanka in making his decision to go the Kolpak route.
An imposing allrounder, with the skills to take pace off the ball and a strong lofted drive, Wiese was a late bloomer who came to prominence in the shorter formats. He began his career at Easterns and in 2005 established himself as a regular at the provincial union and the Titans franchise.
As Jacques Kallis’ career wound down and South Africa needed to search for other options, Wiese came into contention. He was taken on the 2013 tour of Sri Lanka and played in the three T20Is, but modest returns sent him back to the domestic system.