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Oct 8,2026 07:14 PM IST

Graeme Smith Makes Bold Claim As SA20 Challenges Global T20 Giants

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Sports Home Cricket News Graeme Smith Makes Bold Claim As SA20 Challenges Global T20 Giants

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Graeme Smith Makes Bold Claim As SA20 Challenges Global T20 Giants

Graeme Smith, who is now the SA20 League Commissioner, declared on Thursday that the franchise league has gradually established itself as a primary choice for players during the January-February window

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File photo of Graeme Smith© AFP

SA20 is entering its fifth season in 2027, with the player auction having taken place on Wednesday. Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who is now the SA20 League Commissioner, declared on Thursday that the franchise league has gradually established itself as a primary choice for players during the January-February window. The SA20, which runs from January 17 to February 19, overlaps with the Big Bash League, which is scheduled from December 12, 2026, to January 26, 2027.

But Smith believes that the SA20 has found its own space in the crowded cricket calendar.

"I think it really has. I think in the beginning, credit to Cricket South Africa for one or two tough decisions that they had to make in cancelling, say, the initial ODI series in Australia, which allowed a window in an already busy FTP calendar to be filled," Smith said during an interaction facilitated by SA20 following the Season 5 Auction.

"So, yeah, I think over the five seasons, we've established ourselves at the heart of summer. I think there's a nice balance now, especially if you look at a year like this, where you've got Australia, Bangladesh and England for international series. The five weeks in the Jan-Feb window... I think we've established ourselves.

"I really like to believe that we've become the league of choice, certainly in the Southern Hemisphere window. So, I think we have certainly established ourselves coming into Season 5," he added.

Smith said the SA20 has also given South African cricket a huge new lease of life over the last four seasons.

"I think just before SA20 started, South African cricket was in a challenging space. I think the national team was struggling. There were a lot of administrative issues. I think fans were getting disgruntled with the game.

"So, for us, besides lifting the standard of cricket, it was about providing a high-profile tournament that players could be a part of, seeing talent grow over the years and become competitive. It obviously benefits the national team's performance.

"But we really wanted to bring fans back to the game in South Africa and introduce new fans. I think last year, walking around the stadium, the number of people I met who were watching cricket for the first time was remarkable. The growth of the fan base and the support for our game are certainly among the key goals that we have achieved over the first few years," he said.

The former South African skipper said they now have to sustain the league's early success.

"Now, it's about doubling down and making sure it goes from strength to strength, so that in the next five years, people still want to be a part of SA20 and see it continue to grow."

With PTI inputs 

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