CAPE TOWN – Six teams, six venues, 16 players per team and 32 matches. That is the gist of the new South African T20 League that will start on November 9.
Cricket South Africa released finer details of the event on Wednesday, following their Tuesday announcement of the SABC as the exclusive broadcast partner for the tournament in the sub-Saharan region.
CSA said in a statement on Wednesday that they have now opened their register for player applications to the league, which will kickoff on November 9 and end on December 16.
In that process, South African Kolpak players will be regarded as an overseas player – and the latest Protea to take that route was Wayne Parnell, who parted ways with the Cape Cobras on Tuesday.
Cricket SA detailed strict criteria for the kind of players they want in the tournament.
For instance, a foreign overseas player “must either be a current or former international player who has played international cricket in the past 18 months, or has a high profile with a proven track record in domestic T20 tournaments around the world”.
Locally-based players will also have to register on the CSA website to be considered for the player draft, which takes place on October 17.
The CSA board has set the following rules and regulations for the competition:
* There will be six competing teams and a total of 32 matches on a home and away basis;
* Each team will have 16 players;
* Each team will have a minimum of three and a maximum of four overseas players. Overseas players are defined either as foreign overseas or Returning Kolpak players;
* The six venues will be decided by a bid process open to all ICC-accredited CSA Members that will include an independent analysis by an appropriate consultancy firm. No venue will host more than one team; and
* Players will be centrally contracted by the League.
Some of the Proteas players will miss the first part of the tournament as their limited-overs tour of Australia ends with a T20 International on November 17.
Interestingly, CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will avail some of their “senior administrators” to assist with the event due to their IPL experience.
“The time is now right for us to register players who would like to participate in our League,” Moroe said in a statement.
“We will be seeking to secure the services of the foreign and South African marquee players who were recruited for the previous league on two-year contracts.
“In addition, subject to our international commitments, all the Proteas contracted players are expected to participate in most of the League.
“I am also delighted to announce that that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has accepted our invitation to make some of their senior administrators, who have extensive experience in running the Indian Premier League (IPL), available to assist with the smooth running of our tournament.
“Their experience will be invaluable and will assist in ensuring that the League is one of international standing.”
The eight international “marquee” players who were signed for the now-cancelled T20 Global League were Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Kevin Pietersen, Brendon McCullum, Lasith Malinga, Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy.
But the likes of Gayle, Pollard, Morgan and Roy signed on Tuesday for the new T10 League in Dubai, which takes place from November 23 to December 2, so they may only be available for the first few weeks of the South African event.