Durham Cricket are delighted to announce the signings of South African International Farhaan Behardien and David Bedingham ahead of the 2020 season with both players putting pen to paper on deals at Emirates Riverside.
Both players have confirmed deals with the club ending their careers with South Africa, to now focus on their game within England.
Behardien is well known on the global stage and will bring a wealth of experience to the Durham squad having played international cricket for South Africa since 2012 in T20 and ODI formats.
The 36-year old has agreed a two-year deal at Emirates Riverside and joins Durham on the back of four World Cups spanning from 2012 to 2016.
A middle order batsman, Behardien has amassed 6794 first class runs with an unbeaten 150* his highest score at first class level.
Having had 14 seasons with the Momentum Multiply Titans , he continues to score runs, currently the sides top run scorer in first-class cricket in the past year. Tallying 591 runs in the last 12 months, he joins Durham on the back of a successful year in South Africa.
The Johannesburg batsman brings over 15 years playing experience and leadership to the group, having captained South Africa in 2017 during their tour of Sri Lanka and has also played Kings XI Punjab, Momentum Multiply Titans and Western Province.
Behardien has gone onto represent South Africa 97 times throughout his career in both T20 and one-day internationals.
Director of Cricket Marcus North said: “Behardien is such an experienced cricketer and with the young group of players we have in the squad he will help them develop their all-round game.
“When Dale Benkenstein and Michael Di Venuto joined the club, it wasn’t just their performances on the field, it was the knowledge and experience they passed on to young players.
“The likes of Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick’s development was influenced through that exposure and we see this being a very important role for Behardien.
“We are delighted to have him at Durham and are excited to welcome him to Emirates Riverside come the start of the season.”
Behardien added: “Signing for Durham comes at an exciting time in my career, I have loved representing South Africa for many years, but now is the time to explore a new chapter.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for me to support Durham’s ambitions and play a key role moving forward in their success. I look forward to joining up with the squad during their pre-season tour.”
25-year-old David Bedingham also joins the club on a season long deal having played a range of first-class cricket in South Africa. The talented batsman has also represented South Africa under-19s and follows in the footsteps of Durham Cricket team mates Brydon Carse and Gareth Harte who both opted for careers in England.
North added: “It is great to add another young promising batsman to the Durham squad. David has made the decision to move and live in the UK to pursue a career in England and we look forward to seeing him develop.”
Both players will join up with the squad for the first time on Durham Cricket’s pre-season tour in March.