Sponsor found for Mzansi Super League, says CSA

Crisis-riddled Cricket South Africa (CSA) may have received a timely boost after with the embattled organisation saying it has secured a title sponsor for the money-bleeding Mzansi Super League (MSL).

“We have signed a title sponsorship. I am not at liberty to tell you at this point who it [the sponsor] is because we like to keep the announcement up to our sponsors in terms of timing and all of that,” CSA acting CEO Kugandrie Govender told TimesLIVE.

“So they [the new MSL title sponsor] have said to us they would like to time it according to their calendar, so we are not ready to announce it just yet.

“We will leave it to the sponsors to decide what time best suits them.”

TimesLIVE understands the new sponsor has been contracted for five years but Govender would not be drawn into discussing further details.

Govender hopes the third edition of the MSL will be played in the traditionPalRlate November to early December slot, but she admitted that Covid-19 restrictions would dictate the circumstances.

“What I am concerned about is that we may not be able to put out a product like we did in the first two editions in terms of Covid-19 restrictions and what we want with the international players [coming to SA] and all of that.

“Remember our revenue comes from international broadcasters mostly and we need those international players for the MSL.

“Otherwise it will just be a domestic product and the international broadcasters are not really going to be taking up content which does not have superstars from around the world.

“Are we going to get the international players here even if our borders are closed?

“Will countries where the international players will be coming from be able to let players leave?

“So we have got to take that into consideration.”

The MSL ran with no title sponsor and broadcast rights were apparently sold for a pittance or given for free to the cash-strapped SABC as pay-TV giants SuperSport rejected it.

Govender, who was promoted from her role as chief commercial officer last week to replace Dr Jacques Faul, said CSA had learnt from mistakes made in the past two editions. —