No easy start for the MSL

Cricket South Africa (CSA) head of commercial Clive Eksteen has said that it will be unfair to expect the Mzansi Super League to break even financially in its first year of operation.

The league starts next Friday and in a sports portfolio committee meeting two weeks ago‚ CSA chief executive officer Thabang Moroe said the association were expecting to make losses of more than R600m over the next four years.

Moroe had said the forecast losses did not include the Mzansi Super League‚ but rather the financial paucity of incoming tourist teams.

South Africa will be hosting Pakistan and Sri Lanka this season; sides that don’t turn the broadcast cash wheels like India‚ England and Australia.

“The intention is for the league to make money, because it’s a commercial league and there are commercial imperatives‚” said Eksteen.

“Realistically‚ you’re not going to have a league break even in its first year. It’s unheard of‚ especially where we’ve come from because it’s been a tough start.

“We’re confident that it’s going to be a successful league from a three- to five-year outlook.”

Eksteen said CSA have commercial partners that will be announced sometime next week.

CSA had announced on October 18 that Global Sports Commerce (GSC) was going to be the tournament’s official commercial and broadcast partner for the next five years.