JOHANNESBURG - Cricket South Africa’s attempt to spruce up the domestic T20 competition is laudable - and much needed - but it feels like it’s too late.
Already the Indian Premier League and the Big Bash League in Australia have virtually cornered the market in terms of ‘sport-tainment’ as chief executive Haroon Lorgat put it, and the Caribbean Premier League isn’t far behind.
However Cricket South Africa is relying on the country’s geographical positioning - which puts it in a handy time zone with access to the European market - the established local sporting culture and attracting a youthful audience as it seeks to burst on to the domestic T20 scene with a competition that’s currently got the name ‘T20 Global League.’
Cricket SA announced yesterday that it had opened the bidding process for potential owners for the eight-team competition that will start in November and end with a final on December 16.
The competition is set to be based around city-based franchises as is the case with the BBL and IPL, and with South Africa dominated by three major cities - Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town - it would come as no surprise if those centres were to have two teams each.
Cricket SA’s bidding process, which opened yesterday and will be run by EY (previously known as Ernst and Young) will close on March 3. Potential owners must; submit “an Expression of Interest,” submit “a formal bid,” after which those bids will be evaluated before successful team owners are announced.
Cricket SA made a presentation outlining the competition to the International Cricket Council, which is currently holding a series of meetings in Dubai to discuss the future of the sport. Cricket SA’s president Chris Nenzani, said the organisation received a “favourable response,” to its plans.
Players like AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock and David Miller have become huge superstars in the IPL but have had very limited opportunities - especially in the case of Du Plessis and De Villiers - to display their wares at home.
A key element for any potential franchise owner for the new league will be the presence of those types of players along with other big names in the local game like Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla and Kagiso Rabada. In addition franchises will also be entitled to use overseas talent, although at this stage it’s not known what limits will be placed on the number of overseas players allowed for each side.
“This is a unique opportunity, it’s different to the other leagues. (South Africa) is in a great time zone, there’s great infrastructure, we have a great cricket culture and it’s an opportunity for us to provide a new ‘sport-tainment’ type product,” said Lorgat.
Cricket South Africa also hope the new competition will act as a tourist attraction to the country a bit like the IPL, BBL and CPL have been those respective regions.
“It is a huge opportunity to invest in the game financially and a great opportunity for us to grow the game,” Lorgat added.