Breetzke in line to play for Steelbacks in Blast opener at Headingley

The South African was snapped up by the Lucknow Super Giants for this year’s Indian Premier League – and was finally handed a belated debut in their final group game of the competition on Tuesday!

His IPL contract with Lucknow put paid to the 26-year-old's scheduled stint as a batter for Northants in their opening seven Rothesay County Championship matches, but it will have been a huge frustration for him that he was sidelined for virtually the entire tournament.

Breetzke was overlooked for the first 13 league matches before being handed a start in the clash with title-chasing Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium.

It wasn’t the IPL debut Breetzke would have dreamed of though, as he was dismissed for 14 from 12 balls as the Super Giants were beaten by six wickets.

The IPL was delayed for more than a week earlier this month due to tensions between India and Pakistan, and that will have left Darren Lehmann wondering if Breetzke would be back in time to play in the Blast.

But the tournament did resume after a short break, and with Lucknow having failed to reach the play-offs group campaign ended on Tuesday, and that means Breetzke is finally free to head to the United Kingdom to turn out for the Steelbacks.

Prior to his brief cameo for Super Giants on Tuesday, his most recent competitive cricket was for Warriors in a 50-over match in March.

Breetzke, who was the Steelbacks’ leading run-scorer in the Blast last summer, now faces a race against time to be in England in time for Friday's Blast opener, but skipper David Willey is hopeful the South African international will be available for selection.

"My understanding is that he will be here for that first game, which is great," Willey told BBC Northampton.

Also set to feature is the club's other overseas signing Lloyd Pope, who replaces the injured Ashton Agar.

A leg-spinner, Pope has been acclimatising to English conditions by playing a clutch of T20 games for the IIs, and Willey has been impressed by what he has seen so far.

"He has played in the IIs and it was nice to see him go about his business, I think he will be a good addition for us," said the skipper.

"He seems a great fella who has slotted in nicely, and I have been impressed by his skills and the way he goes about his game."

Pope, along with a clutch of other Steelbacks first teamers, are expected to feature for the Northants IIs as they play Gloucestershire IIs in a Second XI T20 - Central Group double header at Cheltenham College on Wednesday.