Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith who is the League Commissioner of SA20 is hopeful that Indian stars are allowed to play in SA20 league in future. Smith said that Indian players are loved in South Africa and the strong relationship between the two countries will lead to a larger fanbase.
"I mean, I think we always work with the BCCI. Obviously, they have policies in place with regard to Indian players. The talent in India is so loved in South Africa as well. You can see when the Indian team comes out there, just the talk on the streets, the fans, you know, they can't wait to see these type of players in South African conditions and the competitive nature that it brings," Smith said at the SA20 India Day, as quoted by a release from SA20.
"And, I think since South Africa came back into sports, India has been a great friend to South Africa. The fans in India have certainly built a strong relationship with South African cricket. So, from the SA20 perspective, India is a very important market for us. The fan base here is cricket loving, and we want to grow and make sure that as many people tune in and love the game," he added.
All six SA20 league teams are owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. He feels that Indian players participating in the league if allowed can lead to more competitiveness. Currently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not allow players to play in overseas T20 leagues until and unless they are retired from international cricket and the IPL. Wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik is set to make his SA20 debut for Paarl Royals in the upcoming season.
"Obviously, Indian players help that from our perspective, but quality tournaments that people enjoy watching, Indian fans enjoy competitive cricket. So, for us, those are all sort of key ingredients. We don't know what the growth looks like into the future. We think with the six IPL franchises that we're perfectly situated to be able to attract top talent out of India, if allowed," Smith noted.
Smith talked about the difference in playing conditions in the IPL and SA20 league.
"Look, I mean, cricketing-wise, it's obviously different. We saw in the IPL last year, I mean, batting conditions in the early season was, I think, you know, around South Africa, in our six stadiums, you get different conditions from the Wanderers to Cape Town to Paarl and so on," said the opener who was part of Rajasthan Royals' (RR) IPL 2008-winning squad.
No impact player rule in SA20 league
In addition, Smith feels that SA20 League should not be compared with the IPL. He also opened about the much-talked about impact player rule.
"We've not gone with the impact player rule. We're in an early phase of development and, you know, really also trying to attract new fans to the game in South Africa. So, sticking to kind of, what's worked in T20 cricket for us and introducing fans to the game. But you can't compare to IPL. I mean, it's just on another level. I've been fortunate to win the first year of IPL and be a part of many more from, player, broadcaster. So it's just an incredible thing to be a part of. And, for us, it's an ambition to even be in the same room as the IPL," said the 43-year-old.
The third edition of SA20 League will commence on January 9 at St George's Park with defending champions Sunrisers Easter Cape going up against MI Cape Town.
