T20 Global League will be a ‘life-changer’ for local cricketers

THE T20 Global League is now very real, after a weekend of significant movement for the tournament. Chris Morris was the first name out of the hat in the inaugural T20 Global League Player Draft, held at The Westin Hotel in Cape Town on Sunday.

“It’s life-changing,” the Proteas all-rounder said of the day as a whole.

Morris was the first of the opening round of picks, thus securing a lucrative, $135 000 (R1.76million) contract to play for the Durban Qalanders, on a long, but exciting day for all eight franchises.

“I certainly didn’t expect to be the first pick,” Morris explained.

“It’s humbling. Players literally change their circumstances overnight. I remember the first time I went through it in the IPL, and I had tears in my eyes. There will definitely be tears in players’ eyes across the country.

“The money is great, obviously, but it is just as exciting for every player. Imagine being a teenager and then suddenly being handed a contract for over R100 000 for six weeks. That’s your varsity degree paid for,” Morris added.

Morris was joined in the Durban line-up by the likes of Pakistani batsman Fakhar Zaman and Kiwi Mitchell McLenaghan. Morris’ draft pick was quickly followed up by the first surprise of the day, as Cobras and Proteas’ seamer Dane Paterson was snapped in the opening round for the top dollar. He will turn out for the Bloem City Blazers, alongside a hard-hitting side that houses Dwayne Smith (West Indies), Theunis de Bruyn and late-comer Chris Jordan from England.

Veteran fast bowler Dale Steyn, who has relocated back to Pretoria, will be back in Cape Town, as he has been snapped up by the star-studded Knight Riders, alongside Chris Gayle, JP Duminy and youngster Jason Smith.

While nothing is won on paper, some of the franchises already look seriously ominous, having made some shrewd signings in the draft. The Pretoria Mavericks, headlined by AB de Villiers and Dwayne Bravo, have a strong South African contingent, including the experience of Morne Morkel, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Farhaan Behardien and Keshav Maharaj. The Jo’burg Giants, with a strong affiliation to the Delhi Daredevils, acquired the likes of Temba Bavuma, Andile Phehlukwayo and Vernon Philander, and also look to be a formidable unit.

Aiden Markram was the first rookie to be signed, going to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stars.

There were other emerging talents handed an opportunity, such as Clyde Fortuin (Blazers), Ryan Rickelton (Stars) and Kyle Simmonds (Stellenbosch Monarchs).

Meanhwhile, teenager Akhona Mnyaka (18) was signed up by the Bloem Blazers, right at the end of the draft. It is a unique opportunity for all the players involved, as the tournament stipulations accommodate one rookie in each match, as well as a set number of local players.

Yesterday, during a draft that stretched across the entire day, many South African cricketers saw their careers change dramatically. Andile Phehlukwayo, who was writing his matric finals barely three years ago, was signed for over R1 million, and could scarcely contain his excitement.

“I just wanted to be involved, so to go so early in the draft is just incredible. There are some very interesting teams already, so it should be an amazing competition. I can’t wait for the tournament to start, and to link up with the rest of the Giants,” he said.

The cricket landscape in South Africa has most certainly changed now, and looking at the final list of players in each franchise has made the whole thing a lot more real.

Roll on November 3. CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA chief executive Haroon Lorgat believes that the naming of a new owner for the Stellenbosch Monarchs cricket team in the T20 Global League starting on November 3 could “bowl a few people over”.

And, although a TV rights deal has not yet been finalised, with CSA keen to have some part of the tournament broadcast on free-to-air channels, Lorgat was also upbeat about this aspect of the new event.

Brimstone Investment Corporation Limited, the SA investment company which was originally unveiled as one of the eight franchise owners of the T20 Global League in June, ended their interest in pursuing ownership of the Boland franchise earlier this month.

This left CSA to take on the responsibility of setting up the franchise.

Captain Faf du Plessis and assistant coach Eric Simons along with T20 Global League ambassador Paul Adams, in conjunction with various CSA support staff, manned the Monarchs player draft table over the weekend in head coach Stephen Fleming’s absence.

“You always have this challenge, where someone might have reason (to withdraw). We were ready for that. So, it wasn’t an issue for us,” Lorgat said.

“The amazing thing is that it’s going to be (a) blessing. We have got a number of interested parties. Hopefully very, very soon we can make the announcement which will surprise and certainly showcase the attraction of this league.

“I have no doubt that is going to bowl a few people over. We made the decision long before we went to the market for owners, that should there be a need for CSA to ‘warehouse’ a team in lieu of an owner to come (we would).”

The sale of the tournament’s broadcast rights has yet to be finalised, with the weekend’s player draft being live streamed on social media channels Facebook and YouTube.

“There’s a lot around the commercial aspects where we want to make sure we get the best deals for everyone concerned, including a broadcaster,” Lorgat said.

“So, we could go early and secure a deal and then say we shouldn’t have, because there is a lot more concerned.

“Or alternatively you can do it as late as possible. In our view it was better to do it after the owners were announced.

“And after the players were announced. There is now concrete evidence of what you selling.”

For all the commercial benefits CSA are hoping to achieve with the T20 Global League, it remains the custodian of the game in South Africa with the responsibility to spread it to the masses.

Already only the Proteas home internationals are aired on freeto-air television with pay channel SuperSport holding the monopoly on all domestic cricket and all Proteas matches played abroad.

“It will be great if we can get free-to-air because that’s where the majority of people have TV sets. But there is a commercial aspect to it. We did say that we want to generate a league that will provide the commercial returns that will sustain and grow the game. It is a balancing act, which we will consider, that we can at least (show) some form of the tournament on the free-to-air channel,” Lorgat said. – Zaahier Adams