This is not the first time that South African cricket has been in crisis.
The men’s team completed another embarrassing World Cup exit with a string of abject batting performances in Testing.
On the women’s side, a golden generation has lost its luster. Sponsors are hard to find. Patience is running out.
However, a new league promises to fix most of the ills plaguing Cricket South Africa (CSA).
SA20, the latest Twenty20 franchise competition on the World Tour, begins on Tuesday and will see six city-based teams compete over four weeks.
He may not be the panacea South African cricket needs, but his arrival marks a turning point and a chance for change.
Financial windfall
For starters, a lucrative global broadcast rights deal means the inaugural season will turn a profit.
Shareholders could still choose to refrain from distributing the cash immediately and instead wait a few cycles before sharing the spoils with CSA, but at least some coffers will be filled.
The six teams – based in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Paarl, Durban and Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) – are affiliated and funded by Indian Premier League team owners.
The tournament opens with the Mumbai Indians Cape Town hosting the Paarl Royals, belonging to the same consortium that owns the Royals in Rajasthan.
Faf du Plessis will remain in Chennai yellow as he skips Joburg Super Kings while Quinton de Kock will be able to keep his Lucknow colored kit as he prepares for the Durban Super Giants.
The names could be a mouthful, and there have been concerns that the close ties to the IPL dilutes the authentic flavor of the competition. But there is no doubt that this relationship will inject much needed cash into a badly needed cricket ecosystem.
Long-term prospects (and hopes)
The least surprising thing about South Africa’s loss to the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup in November is that it happened.
Proteas fans have been hurt too many times to even raise an eyebrow when their team manages to wrench an unlikely defeat from the jaws of a pedestrian victory.
This competition heralds a new dawn, or so the hope is.
Graeme Smith, the former Proteas skipper who is now the de facto CEO of SA20, has previously predicted the competition will have the same effect on young South African players as the IPL has had on the development of Indian talent.
“There will be a lot of guys, young guys, rubbing shoulders with experienced internationals,” Smith told the BBC in October. “It can only have a positive impact on them.”
Additionally, each team owner is expected to invest in academies and development centers in their respective regions, thus strengthening the next generation of South African stars.
red ball reset
It’s not just the white ball side that will benefit from the launch of the competition.
Those with a vested interest in the fate of the swinging, shaking red ball will keep their fingers crossed, the Proteas in white will also reap what SA20 sows.
There are examples of this symbiosis between formats. Rishabh Pant gave India’s lower middle order some extra gear and their bowling unit, led by Jasprit Bumhrah, is arguably the toughest attack in the world.
England’s red ball reset has been fueled by judgment previously reserved for shorter formats and now includes a mix of players who were once classed as T20 specialists.
If Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis and Gerald Coetzee – three hugely talented youngsters who will no doubt play big roles for their respective franchises – can impress over the next month, they could be fast-tracked to a Test squad in desperate need of new life. .
Social concerns put aside (for now)
Smith promised a women’s competition would be held, but could not say when.
“Within two or three years,” was his vague estimate. “A female element is 100% in our plans. It just wasn’t doable this year, but it’s definitely in the works.”
It looks like a misstep, especially as the first-ever U19 Women’s World Cup and T20 Women’s World Cup will take place in South Africa in January and February.
There is also the issue of the lack of black African players in the tournament. There are only four included in the six teams.
That’s a pittance in a country where more than 80% of its 60 million people are black.
Unlike CSA competitions and South African national teams, there were no racially mandated selection targets for the SA20 auction in September.
Proteas white ball captain Temba Bavuma remained unsold, as did all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo.
England play in the mix
Ultimately, the success of the competition will depend on the quality of the cricket presented. One way to improve any product is to include top performers and the SA20 attracted 20 England players.
The three male Lions hold both the T20 and 50+ World Cup trophies and the influx of English talent is a major blow.
The Paarl Royals have an enviable collection with Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Eoin Morgan forming a formidable trio. They will be rounded out by David Miller and Dane Vilas in what must surely be a contender for the tournament’s toughest batting line-up.
The Mumbai Cape Town Indians have an Englishman for all seasons. If Jofra Archer can stay fit, he will share the attack with Kagiso Rabada and Sam Curran.
Liam Livingstone will also call Cape Town home for four weeks and neutrals will be praying that he holds the crease for an extended period with Brevis.
Reece Topley is the only England player in Durban while Adil Rashid, Will Jacks and Phil Salt are stationed up north in Pretoria.
Five of their compatriots, including leg thrower Mason Crane and Cape native Brydon Carse, will represent the Sunrisers in Gqeberha.
Their mere presence will have a positive impact. It will be the same for the nine West Indians, four Sri Lankans, two Afghans and the only ambassadors from Ireland, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
Smith aims to create the “second best T20 league in the world” behind the IPL.
South African cricket must hope to succeed.
