ZCZC
BSP-02
CRICKET-RSA-T20-LEAGUE
De Villiers headlines new South African T20 league
CAPE TOWN, Nov 15, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – AB de Villiers will headline South
Africa’s first city-based Twenty20 league when he leads the Tshwane Spartans
in the opening match of the Mzansi (South Africa) Super League against Cape
Town Blitz on Friday.
The month-long league will get under way barely a month after the official
launch, without a title sponsor and with a relatively modest list of
international players, partly because some big-name players already had other
commitments.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) have budgeted for a loss of 40 million rand
(about $2.8 mn/2.45 mn euros) for the first edition of a tournament which was
first mooted in 2017 before being abandoned in the absence of a television
deal or main sponsor, leading to a loss of about $14 mn and the resignation
of then chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
SABC, the cash-strapped national broadcaster, will televise the tournament.
The free-to-air coverage is expected to boost the popularity of cricket,
although it is unlikely that CSA are receiving a substantial rights fee.
In addition to the absence of a title sponsor, none of the six teams have
announced a major sponsor.
CSA are hoping that international exposure will enable the league to rival
the long-term success of similar tournaments in other countries, such as the
Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash League.
Marketing head, former Test player Clive Eksteen, said at a recent briefing
that the matches would be broadcast in India, England, Australia, North
America and the Caribbean.
Some international marquee players, such as Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid
Khan and England batsman Jason Roy, will be available only for the latter
stages, having committed to a 10-overs league in Abu Dhabi.
South Africa’s leading one-day players will miss the opening matches
because of a tour of Australia which finishes Saturday.
– ‘All systems go’ –
But De Villiers is probably the biggest drawcard in South African cricket.
His retirement from international cricket earlier this year means that the
league will be his only appearances on South African fields this season.
In a website article, De Villiers said he “can’t wait” for the league to
begin. “I have been working hard in the gym and nets, and it’s all systems
go,” he wrote.
De Villiers has been appointed captain of the Spartans, who will represent
the metropolitan area of Pretoria, his home town. He hit 93 off 31 balls in a
warm-up match against the Johannesburg team, Jozi Stars.
Cape Town Blitz will be without captain Farhaan Behardien and Quinton de
Kock, their South African marquee player, because they are with the South
African team in Australia.
But Dawid Malan, the South African-educated England batsman, showed that he
could be a worthwhile signing by scoring 85 off 54 balls in a warm-up match
against the Paarl Rocks.
The league will be staged at a challenging time for South African cricket.
With the country’s economy in a poor state, CSA do not have sponsors for
Test matches and two of the three main domestic competitions.
There has been a steady exodus of capable players from the country, either
on Kolpak contracts in England or, in several cases, young players simply
seeking to make a new life abroad.
The league provides a substantial incentive for local players with contract
fees ranging from about $70,000 for top-drafted players to $7,000 for lesser
players. There is also a prize pool of about $700,000.
The six teams will play a home-and-away round-robin league, with the
leading team going to the December 16 final against the winners of a play-off
between the second and third-place sides.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0905 hrs