AFP, Cape Town :
AB de Villiers will headline South Africa’s first city-based Twenty20 league when he leads the Tshwane Spartans in the opening match of the Mzansi (South Africa) Super League against Cape Town Blitz on Friday.
The month-long league will get under way barely a month after the official launch, without a title sponsor and with a relatively modest list of international players, partly because some big-name players already had other commitments.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) have budgeted for a loss of 40 million rand (about $2.8 mn/2.45 mn euros) for the first edition of a tournament which was first mooted in 2017 before being abandoned in the absence of a television deal or main sponsor, leading to a loss of about $14 mn and the resignation of then chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
SABC, the cash-strapped national broadcaster, will televise the tournament. The free-to-air coverage is expected to boost the popularity of cricket, although it is unlikely that CSA are receiving a substantial rights fee.
In addition to the absence of a title sponsor, none of the six teams have announced a major sponsor.
CSA are hoping that international exposure will enable the league to rival the long-term success of similar tournaments in other countries, such as the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash League.
Marketing head, former Test player Clive Eksteen, said at a recent briefing that the matches would be broadcast in India, England, Australia, North America and the Caribbean.
Some international marquee players, such as Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan and England batsman Jason Roy, will be available only for the latter stages, having committed to a 10-overs league in Abu Dhabi.
South Africa’s leading one-day players will miss the opening matches because of a tour of Australia which finishes Saturday.
But De Villiers is probably the biggest drawcard in South African cricket.
AB de Villiers will headline South Africa’s first city-based Twenty20 league when he leads the Tshwane Spartans in the opening match of the Mzansi (South Africa) Super League against Cape Town Blitz on Friday.
The month-long league will get under way barely a month after the official launch, without a title sponsor and with a relatively modest list of international players, partly because some big-name players already had other commitments.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) have budgeted for a loss of 40 million rand (about $2.8 mn/2.45 mn euros) for the first edition of a tournament which was first mooted in 2017 before being abandoned in the absence of a television deal or main sponsor, leading to a loss of about $14 mn and the resignation of then chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
SABC, the cash-strapped national broadcaster, will televise the tournament. The free-to-air coverage is expected to boost the popularity of cricket, although it is unlikely that CSA are receiving a substantial rights fee.
In addition to the absence of a title sponsor, none of the six teams have announced a major sponsor.
CSA are hoping that international exposure will enable the league to rival the long-term success of similar tournaments in other countries, such as the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash League.
Marketing head, former Test player Clive Eksteen, said at a recent briefing that the matches would be broadcast in India, England, Australia, North America and the Caribbean.
Some international marquee players, such as Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan and England batsman Jason Roy, will be available only for the latter stages, having committed to a 10-overs league in Abu Dhabi.
South Africa’s leading one-day players will miss the opening matches because of a tour of Australia which finishes Saturday.
But De Villiers is probably the biggest drawcard in South African cricket.
