KATHMANDU: England’s wicketkeeper-batter John Simpson is set to play for Kathmandu Gurkhas in the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL) Season 2.

The Kathmandu-based franchise, owned by Kathmandu Sports Development Ventures Pvt. Ltd., officially signed the English cricketer for the new season.

The 37-year-old Simpson has represented England in three One Day Internationals (ODIs), all during Pakistan’s 2021 tour of England.

In the second ODI at Lord’s, he scored 17 runs and took five catches behind the stumps. Kathmandu Gurkhas’ head coach Monty Desai praised the signing, saying, “John Simpson brings proven leadership, experience, and composure to our group. A left-handed wicketkeeper-batter with years of county success, he currently captains Sussex.

His professionalism and calm demeanor are invaluable. We’re thrilled to have him in the Kathmandu Gorkhas family—his inclusion strengthens both our batting and wicketkeeping departments.”

Simpson boasts an extensive domestic career in England, having played 542 matches across formats and scored over 16,500 runs.

In 229 first-class games, he has scored 11,351 runs, including 19 centuries. As recently as September, he led Sussex and scored an unbeaten 129 against Worcestershire—his most recent first-class appearance.

He has also scored over 2,000 runs in 115 List A matches with 12 fifties, and more than 3,000 runs in 195 T20 matches at a strike rate close to 130.

Before joining Sussex, Simpson represented Middlesex in county cricket. In The Hundred, he has played for London Spirit and Northern Superchargers, while his Vitality Blast career dates back to 2009.

Simpson becomes the fifth foreign signing for the Kathmandu-based franchise.

The team had already secured South African wicketkeeper-batter Ricardo Vasconcelos, Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus, American batter Milind Kumar, and English county cricketer Ben Charlesworth for the upcoming NPL season.