Dubai: Cricket South Africa (CSA) will stage a new Twenty20 tournament and not the T20 Global League which they said would be held this year end. The new tournament will feature their country’s top players and international stars and is yet to be named. But CSA acting chief executive Thabang Moroe said it would be “the biggest in the history of South African domestic cricket”.
CSA has entered into a deal with South African television company SuperSport, who will be part owners.
Except that the tournament will be held in November-December this year, the CSA did not give further details.
Incidentally, CSA was supposed to stage the T20 Global League this year end as that tournament was postponed soon after a fall out between their CEO Haroon Lorgat and board.
The reason stated for the postponement then was that a television deal did not materialise as expected.
The T20 Global League was to be a city-based franchise tournament, with foreign owners. Dubai-based Ajay Sethi, is the owner of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stars team while India’s Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan owned Cape Town team. The Johannesburg team was owned by GMR Group, the owners of the Delhi Daredevils team in the Indian Premier League.
Speaking to Gulf News, Sethi said: “We are yet to receive any intimation from Cricket South Africa regarding this tournament. I welcome SuperSport coming on board as we have been waiting for a media deal.”
According to reports from South Africa, this new league will replace the T20 Global League and it is also understood that the new league will not have private ownership of the franchises. The Global League had cost CSA around $13.7m and over to 140 players were even signed up to play for the different teams.
CSA is planning to host this new tournament after November 17 soon after South Africa plays their three One Day Internationals and a T20 international in Australia.
CSA hasn’t revealed whether there will be a player draft or auction. The T20 Global League was to be held over 44 days but the new tournament will not have so many matches because South African team has other commitments.
The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) had been requesting for a T20 league tournament.
“The announcement of a new T20 competition is positive news and will be widely welcomed by the players,” said SACA chief executive, Tony Irish. “The fact that a broadcast deal has already been secured through arrangements with SuperSport to take this event to fans in South Africa and globally, is further good news. Although we are not yet privy to the details of the deal or exactly how the competition is to be structured, it is hoped that the upfront involvement of SuperSport will ensure its sustainability and promote its visibility.”
