SA20 league commissioner Graeme Smith has set the music and is now a player-turned-lyricist as he looks to produce something memorable in the inaugural edition of South Africa’s T20 league in cricket. The opening match of the highly anticipated tournament on which the future of South African Cricket depends has, according to most insiders, gone well. But for Smith, there was no real sense of relief yet, knowing the job was far from over. ‘It makes me emotional’ “I’m still quite…
SA20 league commissioner Graeme Smith has set the music and is now a player-turned-lyricist as he looks to produce something memorable in the inaugural edition of South Africa’s T20 league in cricket.
The opening match of the highly anticipated tournament on which the future of South African Cricket depends has, according to most insiders, gone well. But for Smith, there was no real sense of relief yet, knowing the job was far from over.
‘It makes me emotional’
“I’m still very much involved, so day by day, always working on the next game and trying to make sure that the next three weeks produce a level we can be proud of,” Smith told the Saturday Citizen yesterday.
“Maybe there’s time at the end of the tournament to step back and think about what we’ve delivered. But just from my visits to the first three stadiums, to see the fans again, to see the energy and the quality of cricket, it’s something I haven’t experienced since I finished playing.
“It makes me emotional and it’s great to see. The goal is to attract people to the field. It’s all about entertainment and you never know when it’s going to end.
Also Read: SA20: This time Durban Super Giants do business at the death
“So, now we just want to try and stay on top and continue to connect with people. Hopefully, the reception in the highveld will be the same as it has been on the coast,” said Smith.
To try and maximize attendance, the tournament has been divided into blocks, with the opening week in coastal locations – Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha and Paarl – but from the following week the action begins to gather momentum in Gauteng.
From February 3, the last week before the semi-finals, all matches will be played at Wanderers or SuperSport Park.
Sustainable SA 20
Smith wisely made attracting international players of real quality a priority, even if it meant spending large wads of cash on him. But in order to have the financial resources, they must have a blueprint for the tournament in order to attract investors.
“We want to make SA20 sustainable and generate revenue for our partners and Cricket South Africa, and provide a great experience for our fans. Cricket will always be a core part of that.
Also Read: Super Kings continue to beat Super Giants in SA20 match
“It’s great that players like Donovan Ferreira, Jofra Archer, Anrich Nortje and Dewald Brevis have talked about points. You have to have the capital to attract international players who will make the difference.
“The quality of the show so far has been very good and the fans really want to be a part of it. The way Jofra and Anrich have been bowling, I have had a request to read the speed gun to put it on the scoreboard!
“But one of the most challenging parts of putting the SA20 together is convincing the international players that we can be trusted.
“Because of the competition in the market for signatures, we couldn’t wait to sign him. So he was actually signed up even before we had a franchise and I’m very grateful that he agreed to give South African cricket a chance,” said Smith.
The most successful Proteas captain knows there are lessons to be learned from the failures of CSA’s two previous attempts to launch international T20 competitions – the Global T20 League and the Mzansi Super League.
“I look at previous failed attempts and make sure we learn from them,” Smith added.
“There are many parts to the journey. First, we have to get the broadcast deal and then manage the shareholders and then get the license and move forward from the CSA.
“Once the base is in place, we move on to attract interested parties. From 29 different entities from around the world, evaluated by Deloittes, to get the best six, high-quality IPL franchises that participate is a dream.
Also read: Dewald Brevis blasts MI Cape Town to victory as SA20 kicks off
“And it’s not just about the size of the commercial investment, but also the incredible element of expertise that he brings to South African cricket, his professionalism on the field and in terms of strategy, scouting and the way he looks after the interests of the players,” he said.
“The domestic players told me that they all feel good.”
– news@citizen.co.za