MUMBAI: Betway SA20 League Commissioner and former South African cricket captain Graham Smith spoke about what makes Betway SA20 different from other T20 leagues around the world. he said:
“I think from the beginning we have been able to attract the six franchises that we have and they are very professional and very competitive. We have quality local players, the best of South Africa. players, and some outstanding international players. And this year, for me. I think the team is getting even stronger. Looking around the six teams, we see so many matchups and so many potential great games. To see the fans come out in droves and have fun behind the team, the season begins. I’ll never forget standing in each stadium in season 1 and season 2. That first week was amazing, seeing the fan base and the colors of each team supported, and it’s amazing as the years go by. I think the story is building, and that’s that when people tune in, they feel happy. South Africa, summer, packed stadiums, and great cricket. So that continues this year. I hope.”
MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan spoke about the SA20 captaincy. he said:
“For me, it was my first time leading a team in a franchise and it was a different experience. I’ve done a lot of things before, but I probably would have made different decisions. But, you know, you always learn from your mistakes, and this was the first year, so like I said, We had some great games, but at the end we just couldn’t control our nerves last time. I think we just lost the game in that situation. Yeah, we got the fundamentals right. , having fun on the ground and giving 100% is the only way to get the right result.”
Joburg Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis has spoken about cricketers extending their careers by playing in leagues such as SA20. he said:
“If you look at the IPL and T20 contests around the world, there was a period in the beginning when people were paying attention to the youth and their enthusiasm, but then it has pretty much gone back to the experience when people started paying attention. It turns out that T20 If you look around at any competition now, you’ll see a lot of experience being taken into account. That’s why it’s really important to have youth. I think it’s great for every team to have rookies, because I think it’s absolute gold for young players coming out of school, but once you get out of school, The fact that we’ve got young players in the mix is great, they’re twice my age, but they’re on par with players who play a lot of cricket around the world, which money can’t buy. I don’t think that’s true. That’s a great learning experience for them. But for me, this competition fosters that. , at this age, I still feel exactly the same. I can’t answer how long it will last. It’s just being true to where I am in my career. How hungry am I still to play the game? And right now, I still really want to do what I’ve been doing for the last few years. My body is still in good shape and my mind is fresh. So, you never know. I think Imran Tahir is also setting the standard for Gandalf in the tournament. With this format, you can certainly push yourself more. As we all know, the sport is changing for the better and we are seeing athletes around the world continuing to play the sport for longer than ever before, so we want to play for as long as possible. ”
MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan also shared his views on how Afghan cricket has changed over the years and how SA20 will impact Afghan players. he said:
“I think leagues like this really improve cricket, and I think all the benefits have gone to Afghan cricket since Afghan players have joined the league and played there. What we did in the Cup has proven itself in the World Cup.”I think in the last two World Cups, 2023 and both the ODI and T20 World Cups, we failed to make it to the semi-finals. , 10 years ago. Everyone would have thought Afghanistan would make it to the semi-finals, but that’s the kind of chance you have in a big league with young players like Azmatullah, Gulbaz and Noor here. So they’re all in this big league, where they get a chance to share the field with big names. In Afghanistan, there are very few opportunities to play with big superstars. We don’t have our own league to play with them, but we have a chance here. We’ll be sharing the dressing room with them for a month and learning from them. That’s how cricket grows. I feel that really helped Afghanistan cricket. This is because we are not currently in a situation where we can just think about going to and participating in ICC events. So there are expectations. And I think all that expectation comes from us playing in the league, and our cricket has improved. So it’s great to see the young guys coming in and I hope we get to see more guys come to the big leagues and play and develop.”
