Big names, young stars in new league
Tshwane Spartans missing out on Albie Morkel was a surprise
THE six squads picked in the Mzansi Super League could still look very different when the tournament starts in just under a month’s time.
Yesterday’s draw went off largely without drama – only on two occasions were teams prevented from making picks after the players in question were chosen below the “reserve price” they had forwarded for their selection.
However the absence in the tournament initially of the Proteas, as well as many of the big name overseas players means teams will be allowed to sift through a list of players not drafted on Wednesday to fill the spots in the squads until the star names return.
The likes of Faf du Plessis, Chris Morris, Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada and others will be on tour with the Proteas in Australia, playing in a One-Day series and will only be available from around November 19 three days after the tournament starts.
Teams will have to approach the League Advisory Committee to request that they can draft a new player, meaning the likes of David Wiese, who was picked under his “reserve price” by the Paarl Rocks and thus wasn’t drafted, can be available to the team while the likes of Du Plessis, Tabraiz Shamsi and international marquee player Dwayne Bravo complete their commitments elsewhere.
The tournament has suffered significantly from a loss of some really big names with players who have signed for the Dubai T10s tournament – like Bravo, Chris Gayle, Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy – not available for the MSL until December 4.
Morris, as was the case last year when the T20 Global League draft took place, was picked first by the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, who had the first pick, and was one of six players in the first round, who were all picked up for R1-million. “I wasn’t expecting it this year, and to go first two years in a row is quite a special feeling. I was streaming it in the car on the way here and I was quite taken aback. It’s quite a special moment,” said the 31 year old all-rounder.
“Everyone is excited for (the tournament). Cricket SA have needed a tournament like this for a while, for us its an opportunity to stamp our authority on world cricket. It’s an opportunity for youngsters to have a go and put their hand up,” said Morris.
Many of the coaches and managers spent a stressful Tuesday night poring over their options. Durban Heat head coach Grant Morgan admitted he and the new franchise’s management staff conducted 10 mock drafts ahead of the event, but that process was worth it, as he got close to what he’d wanted.
The NMB Giants got “90 to 95%” of the players they’d wanted according to assistant coach Shafiek Abrahams, with the selection of English wicketkeeper/batsman Ben Duckett a major coup. The left hander who has a strike rate of 133.25 is one of the few international players available for the entire tournament. Duckett was picked up in the sixth round – and at R350000 is certainly a bargain.
Among the players for whom Wednesday’s draft will be a significant lift for their finances is Dyllan Matthews, a 21 year old leg-spinner, who went to Wynberg Boys High in Cape Town and now plays for Easterns, who went in round 11 for R120 000 to the Giants.
Among the surprises was the Tshwane Spartans’ decision to allow Albie Morkel – the captain of the Titans and one of the most experienced T20 players in the world – to get away from them, with the Heat picking him up in round six after the Spartans had picked up both Rob Frylinck and Rory Kleinveldt in earlier rounds.
Among the big local names not picked were KwaZulu-Natal all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy, the Cape Cobras’ top order batsman Zubayr Hamza and Matthew Breetzke, widely recognised as one of the most talented young batsmen in the country.