SOUTH AFRICA'S T20 LEAGUE

CSA revive plans for new T20 league

by Tristan Holme • Last updated on

The new tournament doesn't have a name yet. © Getty

South Africa's quest to launch a new Twenty20 competition will finally come to fruition in November after Cricket South Africa forged an equity deal with its main broadcast partner SuperSport. The new tournament does not have a name - with CSA opting to ditch the Twenty20 Global League brand that became mired in controversy and cost it more than R180 million when the inaugural edition was called off last year - and its scope is still to be decided. But CSA on Friday (June 8) promised a "world-class" competition that will be delivered to a global audience.

The partnership with SuperSport represents a 180-degree shift in the relationship between the two organisations. A deep rift developed between the broadcaster and CSA as the T20GL took shape last year, as then-CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat demanded a broadcast fee that was double what SuperSport were willing to pay. When SuperSport held out the tournament's launch date grew closer, forcing CSA to blink first. The organisation fired Lorgat, and after failing to agree on a fee with a broadcaster, postponed the competition.

Two weeks ago, CSA's acting chief executive denied that an equity agreement with SuperSport was being forged, but that deal has now been settled. Although CSA did not reveal the percentage stake that SuperSport will hold, it confirmed that the governing body will be the majority shareholder of a new company that will run the tournament.

"CSA is delighted to announce this equity partnership with our long-term broadcast partners, SuperSport. We have put the problems we experienced with the proposed Global T20 League behind us and look forward to hosting the new competition (which will be named later). This event will create wonderful opportunities for local players (including current Proteas and up and coming youngsters) to hone their white-ball skills," Moroe said in a statement.

Bringing SuperSport on board as an equity partner will at least solve the biggest problem that CSA experienced last year: the absence of a broadcaster. As the only subscription-based broadcaster in South Africa, SuperSport are the only broadcaster with the financial resources required to make the tournament viable. They will take charge of selling the broadcast rights on to international broadcasters. Sony are understood to be interested in broadcasting the tournament in India.

By ceding some control to SuperSport, CSA are unlikely to receive the sort of income from the tournament that Lorgat had intended. But Moroe nevertheless labeled the deal as "the biggest in the history of South African domestic cricket, which will ensure the welfare of the game in South Africa." It is worth noting, however, that South Africa's domestic cricket is usually sold to SuperSport for comparatively small amounts of money that are bundled in with the rights to international cricket.

"CSA has been an outstanding partner of SuperSport's for many years," said SuperSport chief executive Gideon Khobane. "This agreement sees our relationship taken to the next level, where we will pool our mutual resources in a partnership which will create high-quality cricket and provide entertaining content for cricket fans locally and broadcast viewers both domestically and globally. To have Proteas and international stars competing together with local talent will improve the quality of T20 cricket produced by South Africa."

With regards to the availability of the Proteas, there is a catch. South Africa are scheduled to play three ODIs and one Twenty20 international in Australia between November 4 and 17. The absence of the country's top players will detract from the new T20 tournament's launch, which should happen in the second week of November, and it remains to be seen how many players from outside of South Africa will be employed to add some star quality. Those details - along with how many franchises will be involved and who will own them - are still to be decided.

But the new competition will include transformation targets. Selection targets were not part of the playing conditions for the 2017 tournament, but in the wake of CSA's Transformation Indaba in April, a decision was made to include them in any new league going forward.

© Cricbuzz

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