The past and future collided when the third Betway SA20 auction was held at the WestIn hotel in Cape Town this week.
For those with elephant-like memories the destination of choice would have been ironic for it was here that Cricket SA began its plunge into its dark abyss with the T20 Global League draft back in 2017.
The T20GL never saw a ball delivered, in anger and ultimately led to the demise of former Cricket SA chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
But much water has passed under the bridge since then with the advent of SA20 breathing fresh life into a sport that was on its knees just two years ago. Under the leadership of former Proteas Men’s captain Graeme Smith in his new guise as League Commissioner, SA20 has led a revival both on and off the field.
The cricket has been of a high quality, but the overall package that places a huge emphasis on the overall entertainment experience has seen spectators - both young and old - flock back to the six stadiums around the country enmasse.
The cold financial numbers have also been to Cricket SA’s benefit due to a highly successful second SA20 season that saw CSA claim a share of the R54 million profit.
Smith and his highly-motivated SA20 team are not resting on their laurels either. They are desperate to ensure the forthcoming season 3 scales even new heights next year when the competition gets underway on January 9 2025.
“You know, when we set out, we wanted to revive the fanbase in South Africa and to introduce new fans to the game. And I think, two years in a row to be able to do that, close to 380 000 people through our gates and 34 games both years,” Smith said.
“And then our global numbers and our digital numbers are telling us, you know, when we look at the viewership data and our digital data, it really does stand out against any other league.”
Smith remains steadfast that the League should not only be the financial saviour of South African cricket, but that it should also be a catalyst for cricketers to develop and bring them closer to the international game.
He feels that this will be taken to the next level in Season 3 due to the number of high-profile internationals that have opted to play in SA20 next year.
The biggest drawcard will, of course, be MI Cape Town’s new recruit Ben Stokes with the England Test captain and double white-ball World Cup set to be based at Newlands next season.
There’s also former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson (Durban’s Super Giants) and his Kiwi teammate Trent Boult (MI Cape Town), along with England 2019 ODI World Cup winners Joe Root (Paarl Royals), Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali (both Joburg Super Kings).
There’s also a fair sprinkling of Afghanistan’s exuberant talent across all the teams with Rashid Khan and Amazutallah Omarzai (both MI Cape Town), Naveen-ul-Haq and Noor Ahmed (both Durban’s Super Giants), Mujeeb-ur-Rahman (Paarl Royals) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Pretoria Capitals) set to feature in Season 3.
“I think all six teams look very strong. I don’t think South African cricket has seen an event where there is so much quality cricket in a month period. If you think about the contests that are going to unfold in these six teams, it’s something that’s going to be unmatched,” said Smith.
“From a League perspective we want to see all six squads competitive. It’s a nice mix of some quality South Africans and superb international names that have joined us for Season 3.
“As a cricket competition we want to see the South African players get stronger every year. We have seen the success of the IPL and the number of players that can be picked for India. I think we saw that progression last year with the likes of Ottneil Baartman. He had a great World Cup, and we are starting to see those types of players come through.
“I think that’s important to us being able to attract the top names in the game. We know that this challenge is always with building our league against others and FTPs. But I think this year you started to see quality cricketers come and that starts to separate us from that exhibition style, I guess, 20-over competitions.”
Smith also promised that the entertainment inside the six stadiums around the country will be ramped up even further next year.
“I think for us there’s learnings every year, but we engage with fans a lot in terms of how their experiences are in our stadiums. You know, what do they enjoy? What are the successful things? You know, where can we learn? So the fan data and that type of reporting is crucial for how we plan for the next season.
“If you’ve come to our stadiums, you know there’s a lot of colour, there’s a lot of fun for kids, there’s entertainment, you know, we build DJ stands. There is a lot happening inside that stadium.
“We try to build the event so that anyone can come into our stadium on a Monday and a Tuesday or Saturday and a Sunday and have a great time with your family, your students, a cricket lover or not. And I think that that's something that we’ve been able to do really successfully. I think for us, there’s always that paranoia. If I think about season one, the last sold out domestic game in South Africa was in the 90s.
“The fact that we were able to sell out 10, 11, 12 games over the season last year is truly exciting. And we would love to grow there. We can't do it without the support of the fans, ticketing, price of ticketing and the experience that we offer fans, I think is something that is special and is a great value for all.”