As we fast approach the kick-off of the third SA20 edition on January 9, former Proteas great and ongoing SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith voiced his displeasure regarding the existence of several lucrative T20 franchise leagues. He opines that the existence of such leagues does more harm than good to the game. 

Most notable of them all is the ILT20 which is expected to commence on January 11. The UAE-based T20 franchise league is set to directly have a clash with SA20. The former South African captain argued that the SA20 offers a lot in driving the standards of the South African domestic cricket system to a respectable standard unlike the ILT20, whose popularity revolves solely around the existence of foreign players.  

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So what sets SA20 apart from ILT20?

SA20 has taken a leave out of IPL's book wherein it is allowed to have a maximum of four overseas players in the playing eleven. But the picture is a lot different when we talk about team combinations in the ILT20. In this league, a team is allowed to field a maximum of nine international players in a lineup. In addition, all six SA20 squads are restricted to 19 players, must contain a minimum of 11 South African players, and international places in the squads are limited to seven. This stands in sharp contrast with the ILT20 wherein at least two UAE players are included in the playing XI and four in the squad overall.

Smith stresses that this very philosophy sets SA20 apart from the rest of the other leagues including the ILT20. His main goal is to drive the upliftment and growth of South African domestic players and wants the local players to be closely involved with this league. 

"We see ourselves as very different to the ILT20. We're a South African league, with a majority of South African players and our ultimate goal is to benefit South African players."

Furthermore, he openly criticizes ILT20 and highlights their core issue of not incorporating adequate home-grown players into the tournament. Measures like these can prove detrimental and can hurt the global perception of the game.

"We've been built up against ILT20, so it's very difficult for me to not come across like I'm bad-mouthing them, but I do feel like a league like that is not good for the game; that there's that many international players required to build a team; there's no investment back into local cricket. That is a challenge for the world game and something that needs to be managed going forward."

Smith's long-term vision for SA20 and domestic cricket

For Smith, SA20 is all about offering a platform where both local and international players are given their fair share of chances to shine on the big stage.  Being a full-member nation, prioritizing the global aspect of the league comes first but at the same time, they can't overlook the aspect of nurturing the local players and the domestic system.

Smith is focused on building SA20 to the point where it is recognized as one of the biggest leagues outside the IPL. The marquee event has attracted several high-profile talents from different corners of the world and the quality of cricket has been top-notch ever since its inception in 2023 thus attracting huge chunks of crowd.