IPL superstars gear up for SA’s Global T20 league

Lasith Malinga, Kieron Pollards and the ‘Universal Boss’ of Twenty20 cricket Chris Gayle are among the eight marquee players for the inaugural edition of Cricket South Africa’s T20 Global Destination League scheduled for later this year.

There will be no Indians players in this South African T20 championship, devised along the lines of the super successful IPL.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India doesn’t allow Indians players to play in T20 leagues around the world and it is a resolution of the Board that can’t be changed now, said BCCI CEO Rahul Johri recently.

Apart from Malinga, Pollard and Gayle, the other marquee players for the South African T20 are: Kevin Pietersen, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy.

Except Pietersen, who last played for Rising Pune Supergiant, the rest are active Indian Premier League players. The eight international marquee players will be entered into a mini-draft with the highest bidding franchise owner having first pick and the rest following the same process. Franchise owners will be asked to consider the fact that some of these players, by virtue of having played for some years in South Africa, already hold strong ties to certain cities in South Africa. “Coming from four different continents, these players confirm the global interest we have already seen,” said CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat.