The SA20 PR team have been working overtime, and they’re doing a great job. The official launch was a fine success and momentum is building. I was even invited to play a small part in the official television commercial which will be released soon. I wasn’t just ‘happy’ to be involved, I was very happy. If I could contribute any value, I didn’t hesitate.
(It was a non-speaking role lasting about a second in which I was required to raise an eyebrow. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!)
It is important for all South African cricket lovers to understand the relationship between the new tournament, Cricket South Africa and South African cricket. Five years of spectacular mismanagement, maladministration and a lack of vision left the sport in financial disarray and heading rapidly towards bankruptcy. That is not an exaggeration. The SA20, it is hoped, will rescue the situation. If the tournament works out as hoped and planned, it will.
There will be a cost, naturally. The six IPL Franchises which will contest the tournament may be regarded as benevolent dictators but, as one prominent official said: “We are not here to save South African cricket, we are here to expand our brand. If the first purpose is served as well, then we will surely be happy. But this is business, first and foremost.”
The Paarl Royals recently announced that they would be “extending their support” to the recently launched Boland Premier League. The Franchise would be “hosting” the Finals day and “providing finalists finalists and winners with exciting opportunities and exposure to the SA20 and … rewarded with SA20 tickets and official Paarl Royals merchandise.”
The Boland Premier League, it should be noted, is not contested by senior teams. It has six divisions starting with the under-11s and finishing at under-19 level. Under-12, under-13, under-15 and under-17, all playing T20 cricket. That is where the junior game is at, in the Boland anyway. And that is good news for the Paarl Royals – and the Rajasthan Royals – because they may just help unearth a diamond or two. It would be a surprise if they didn’t given the richness of talent in the region.
This will undoubtedly benefit Boland and South Africa but they will not have first choice. Both will be firmly, and rightly, behind the Royals when it comes to signing any budding T20 gems. Even if Boland and South Africa thought they might sign ‘their’ own players, who would a kid (and their parents) rather sign for, given the opportunities and wealth provided by an IPL Franchise?
The same will apply to all of the other five Franchises. They will embrace the local community, they will establish academies and junior development programmes, they will provide financial support (as well as replica shirts) and they will expect a return on their investment, as they should. Any philanthropic benefits to South Africa from their business ventures will be welcome but also a happy accident.
South African cricket lovers have no reason not to embrace the tournament, jingoistic prevalences notwithstanding, but it will help if they understand that it is an Indian tournament contested by Indian teams for their benefit and, predominantly, an Indian audience. That they are using South African venues and most of South Africa’s best players should be a cause for eternal gratitude.
The efforts by the Franchises to attract their local audiences are genuine beyond question. Their attempts to fill their stadia and provide value for spectators is also beyond question. There is also no doubt that large crowds, a strident vibe and a successful tournament will do a great deal to ensure that they do, indeed, expand their brands.
The real IPL is relentlessly expanding, physically, financially and in global influence. The Caribbean Premier League and the new ILT20 in the UAE, which will go head-to-head with the SA20, are effectively ‘mini IPLs’ which, although nice to win, are primarily feeder tournaments to assist the 10 Franchises (soon to be 12) to win the main thing. Over 95% of the IPL Franchises revenue comes from the main event and that isn’t going to change no matter how successful the satellite tournaments are.
In the meantime, cricket in the West Indies might just be kept alive by the IPL teams’ involvement in the CPL and it might even return to good health in South Africa, given a successful few years of the SA20. And fort that we really should be extremely grateful.
Cricket South Africa are nominally 57.5% shareholders in the SA20 but that number is more a revenue-share figure than a representation of its power or influence on the SA20 board of directors. The SA20 will regulate itself and, if everything goes well, CSA will keep the domestic game alive with its share of the dividends.
There are many worries and concerns, as with all new and large ventures, but there should be no fear for South African cricket lovers. It’s not as if a relationship with North Korea is being foisted on them. India and South Africa have a long and close history of cultural and economic ties, not to mention the shared cricket background. There is every reason to believe this will be harmonious, symbiotic and successful. Just as long as everyone knows who’s boss and who bought the broken car at auction because they had the money and skill to make it work for them.
The beauty of businesses, as opposed to 'benevolent' orgs like sports administrations and NPOs, is that there is one pure, unifying motive: profit. It's the great equaliser. For this reason alone, I think the SA20 will be immensely successful. I, for one, am taking my whole family to the stadium. I've never been to a franchise game before (unless you count Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab at The Wanderers in 2009), only international matches, so this will be my first time at Newlands to watch anyone other than the Proteas. Who knows, maybe I'll start a good habit, get onto a functioning mailing list, get notified of other local games and get back into live cricket again?
Let us hope that this tournament does help keep CSA breathing. I am not sure that the crowds will be back in large numbers - there are numerous other entertainment options available not to mention an abundance or excess even, of T20 cricket. Even Australia struggled to fill stadiums for the recent ICC T20 Men's World Cup and that was with countries competing against each other.
One positive is at least the teams / squads for the tournament are all selected on merit and not on a quota system.
I was sad to discover that Wihan Lubbe was left out of the Warriors for their 4-day match against the Northwest Dragons, all due to the Glenton Stuurman injury last week. Context, Lubbe had a good game last weekend for the Warriors with bat and ball, but because Marco Jansen replaced Stuurman, the quota system meant that there was no place for Lubbe.
Seriously, no wonder I could count the rest of the spectators on one hand at a sunny St Georges Park this afternoon. People want to watch strength vs strength cricket with teams all selected on merit. Surely the colour or creed of the player should not be the chief criteria for team selection at this level but purely talent and ability when selecting the playing XI.