IT’S finally here!
After two years of talk, Cricket South Africa’s long awaited Mzansi Super League T20 cricket tournament kicks off in Cape Town tonight.
The league features six new cricket teams and will follow along the same vein as the glitzy, multi-million rand Indian Premier League (IPL) which started close to a decade ago.
Cape Town Blitz host Tshwane Spartans at PPC Newlands (7pm start) with a return to action for world superstar AB “Mr 360” de Villiers as captain for the visitors, after he retired from Tests and ODIs earlier this year.
Chris Gayle, the stylish West Indian player who arrives in the country this morning, will turn out for Jozi Stars against Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Bidvest Wanderers Stadium tomorrow (7pm).
On Sunday, Durban Heat host Blitz at Kingsmead Stadium (11am) before the first weekend of action is capped off with the Paarl Rocks up against the Spartans at Boland Park (3.30pm).
Despite fears after the tournament’s failure to launch last year, there remains plenty of support from the fans as well as the players for the country to have it’s own money-spinning cricket showpiece.
The biggest support has come from Proteas star, Hashim Amla, who will turn out for the Heat in this year’s tournament.
Amla said: “It’s about time!”
“It won’t be fair for anyone to compare this tournament with the IPL at this point. We have to give it time. It took some years for the IPL to become the great tournament it is now,” said the 35-year-old in Durban.
“It is producing a lot of talent for the Indian national team too because the youngsters get to play alongside the best players in the world.”
Amla too is making his return to cricket in the Super League, having recovered from injury to play for a side that has been tipped by most – De Villiers included – to be among the top contenders to win the first ever edition.
The Mzansi Super League has attracted six international marquee players, including Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Rashid Khan and the English duo of Jason Roy and Eoin Morgan.
They join Mzansi’s own top talents. Kagiso Rabada, Imraan Tahir, Lungi Ngidi, De Villiers, Amla and Dale Steyn.
With the tournament having announced a subcontinent broadcast partnership with Sony Entertainment on Wednesday, it could bring wider exposure to some new talent such as new fast bowler Lutho Siphamla, Tony de Zorzi (both Spartans) and Sibonelo Makhanya (Blitz).
The national broadcaster SABC has the exclusive rights for the sub-Saharan region as part of a new effort to bringing cricket closer to Mzansi homes.
This could bode well for Mzansi and the Proteas in terms of building the team for the future. It could aid the Proteas in hopefully finally winning the World Cup after coming close in the seven previous editions played since South Africa was readmitted to international sports in 1992.
