Is Graeme Smith Confident About SA20’s Future in Global Cricket?

New Delhi, Aug 18 (NationPress) The SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith asserts that the league has firmly established itself as the leading competition outside the IPL, despite competing events like the BBL striving for similar acknowledgment.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo prior to the closure of player registrations for this year's auction, Smith stated: “In the southern hemisphere window, our goal is to dominate and become the largest league outside the IPL. After three years, we've set the benchmark. Every decision we make aims to ensure we maintain those standards.”

The SA20 is set to commence its fourth season on Boxing Day, with all six franchises owned by IPL stakeholders, and it features the second-highest salary cap in global cricket at R41 million (US$2.31 million). According to Smith, this figure emphasizes the league's assertion of being the “next-best” after the IPL. A marquee auction is slated for September 9 in Johannesburg, with player registration closing on August 18.

Smith's comments come shortly after Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg indicated on SEN Radio that the BBL will “unashamedly” seek to secure the second position in the global hierarchy through possible privatization.

“Chasing the IPL is going to be extremely challenging, given the scale of cricket in India,” Greenberg remarked, “but we are determined to run a league that ranks second… and achieving that requires funding and investment.”

As the BBL runs concurrently in January, concerns regarding player availability are significant. However, Smith is optimistic. While Australian Test players are seldom available for the BBL, South African international and domestic players are likely to prioritize the SA20 even at the cost of national duty, as demonstrated last year when a weakened team toured New Zealand while the main squad stayed home.

This decision faced criticism at the time, but Smith noted that the victory in the World Test Championship demonstrated that different formats can coexist: “There were fears that we would undermine Test cricket, yet our national team has succeeded in the World Test Championship final. We have all played a role in the ecosystem.”

The SA20 has also gained from international star talent, particularly from England's white-ball players, although the upcoming Ashes may restrict availability this season.

Jos Buttler has already been pre-signed by Durban’s Super Giants, but Smith anticipates a dynamic auction with only 13 of 36 available slots occupied by South African players. “I expected many more top South African players to pre-sign, but that didn’t happen,” he remarked. “From our perspective, this has set up a thrilling auction with a substantial budget.”

Smith also mentioned ongoing collaborations with Cricket South Africa to enhance stadium amenities and pitches in preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup. “The pitches last year did not perform as well as we had hoped… everything is a significant work in progress behind the scenes,” he stated.

The fourth season of the SA20 will take place during the festive season, with no home Tests scheduled for South Africa this summer.