JOHANNESBURG – Cricket South Africa have set aside the disappointment of the national team’s poor performances at the World Cup by forging ahead with preparations for the next Mzansi Super League.
Cricket SA opened the registration period for players wanting to avail themselves for the tournament yesterday. The closing date is July 15.
Although no official dates for the second edition of the T20 competition have been confirmed, Cricket SA said in a statement that players registering for the tournament needed to be available between November 1 and December 16, when the final is due to be played.
Once again, the tournament will comprise six teams made up of 16-player squads, four of whom can be overseas or foreign-based players.
South African players with Kolpak contracts will also be allowed to register, but for the purposes of the tournament, they will be regarded as ‘overseas’ players.
Although Cricket SA’s chief executive Thabang Moroe expressed his pleasure with the first tournament, it was not without teething problems, and on a larger scale added to CSA’s forecast debt of R654 million.
The federation remains optimistic that it can become an additional source of income for South African cricket, although thoughts about matching the IPL and the Australian Big Bash probably need to be toned down.
Cricket SA made no money out of their broadcast deal with the cash-strapped SABC last year, although viewership figures were reasonably good.
Moroe has stated that the SABC will have an opportunity to broadcast the competition again this year, but he’s also implied that CSA need to see some form of income develop from the tournament, which in the short-term will be from a TV rights deal.
All the national team players will be available for the event after the team’s tour of India in October.
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