T20 Global League teams, owners to be unveiled

Haroon Lorgat, CEO Cricket South Africa, will announce the owners of the T20 Gloabl League teams on Monday. Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Haroon Lorgat, CEO Cricket South Africa, will announce the owners of the T20 Gloabl League teams on Monday. Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Published Jun 19, 2017

Share

LONDON - Monday is a big day in South African cricket. Monday is the day that will reveal much, as the T20 Global League finally puts its cards on the table.

The owners of the eight franchise teams will be announced, and things will start to take shape.

The setting for this big reveal is intriguing in itself, as Cricket South Africa have opted to take the show to London. Not Johannesburg, under the Sandton lights. Not under the mountain in Cape Town.

There are many possible reasons for choosing the centre of the world for this event, one of them being that most of the world’s media just happens to be in town.

The other reason may well be that most of the mooted owners find the commute from Dubai, India and wherever else they hail from a bit easier.

It’s a new dawn, and one that has been met with quiet intrigue in most press boxes.

T20 cricket has become the biggest money spinner, and lives and careers have been changed by its presence.

SA, naturally, wants a piece of this cake. They have been slower on uptake than most, but late is better than never.

In the cricketing world, there is still a place for SA to position themselves at the end of the year, and squeeze in with the Big Bash and try its luck.

It will be fascinating to see just who has bought into this new venture, and there are rumours that a significant chunk of interest is from India.

That makes sense, with the likes of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ owners liking the thought of having franchises around the world, and calling the world’s biggest names their employees.

In this world, there are men willing to pay considerably for the privilege of having an AB de Villiers or a Kagiso Rabada on the payroll.

It promises to be an intriguing day, and the marquee players, the likes of Brendon McCullum, Kevin Pietersen, and the Proteas’ stars will be there, too, ushering in a new era for SA cricket.

The world will watch on, as the T20 landscape changes once more.

These are interesting times but, as the Champions Trophy has shown, a tournament done right always finds favour with the masses.

The logo for the new T20 Global League and what the different aspects symbolise.

The Mercury

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Related Topics: