CHENNAI: EVER since its inception, the SA20 has grown in leaps and bounds. When the league was established in 2023, those running the league may have not expected success of this range. Bums on seats and jam-packed stadiums with international stars gracing the field, the league administration led by former captain Graeme Smith, could not have asked for better.
Ahead of season 5 next year — for which the auction is scheduled to take place in October — those running the league will expect to see a larger pool of South African players. “Now we're starting to see across the six teams that the South African group of players are getting really strong. If you want to start adding more teams in the future, you need to start looking at another 20, 25 high-quality players that make sure when we add new franchises that there's enough depth to make sure that the league remains equally competitive,” Smith, the administrator of the league had said in an interview to this daily earlier this year.
This way, young players coming through the ranks get the opportunity to play with international stars and grow. Former Proteas all-rounder Chris Morris believed that the SA20 has broken barriers by meticulous scheduling and giving youngsters a platform to play with stars. “In the past, sometimes, our domestic leagues would clash with international cricket and our international players wouldn't be there or there would be IPL or another franchise league. What the SA20 has done is get the top South African players to play in the league. So when you've got youngsters playing against the best that South Africa has and the best that some of the world has to offer, it's only going to make you better as a cricketer. And youngsters that are coming in, even if they don't play, are sharing a changing room with world-class players that they can see how they go about their business. And I think what you pick up quite quickly as a youngster and say, ‘that's the standard that I need to be at.’ They watch how certain bowlers bowl, how they train. They watch the whole facet of what a player does,” he said in a virtual interaction facilitated by SA20 on Tuesday.
As more youngsters get to play with these seasoned stars, there is an increase in depth of players, according to Morris. “I think, unfortunately, when we were young, a lot of us fell short of what we think we need to be doing as a cricketer. And when you've got those senior players who show the standard to play for South Africa, that creates depth. You take what you have learned from the SA20 and you take it into your domestic training and the reality is you maintain that," he explained.
That way, Morris believed it is a ‘domino effect.’ "All of a sudden, they're looking at the player that was playing at SA20 and they're going, ‘well, that's how we need to train.’ It's just a domino effect. One thing that you will realise when you get older in cricket, there's always someone younger, stronger, fitter that wants it more than you. When you've got that going and a healthy cricket tournament and healthy cricket in the country, that's where you create the depth. I think it's done an unbelievable job for that,” he explained.
Bacher, Van Vuuren players to watch out
As the auction for season 5 is scheduled to take place on October, Morris put his money on the likes of Jarren Bacher and Tiaan van Vuuren to make their mark. Jarren, grandson of Ali Bacher is a mystery spinner part of the retained Joburg Super Kings squad. He also was part of CSK’s spin bowling camp earlier this year in Chennai. “I tell you what, he's still a young man but if he can get it going, he could be an absolute handful., we've had some classy South African spinners in the past, but this young man has got the X Factor. If he does manage to play him or find a spot for him in a couple of games and maybe on a turning wicket or two, I think he'll be an absolute handful,” he added.
Van Vuuren meanwhile, is a fast-bowling all-rounder who was retained by MI Cape Town despite being forced out due to injury. He played two games for Pretoria Capitals the season before last. "He played a couple of games last season. He's had his trouble with injury. I think he's genuinely good. We've got quite a few in the country that are coming up. But I think he's probably the standout for me. he can bowl at some decent pace with his left arm and can absolutely smash a cricket ball out the ground," he said.