Mumbai: Nearly 200 local and international T20 cricketers will go under the hammer at the SA20 Season 3 player auction taking place in Cape Town on October 1. In all 14 countries have been represented across the field, with 115 South African and 73 overseas players making up the main auction.
The short-list announced on Wednesday showcased the global appeal around the league, which saw nearly 600 applications during the player registration period before the list was shortened for the final auction list.
West Indies fast bowling phenomenon, Shamar Joseph tops the list along with his Windies teammate, Matthew Forde.
Joseph shot to prominence earlier this year when he delivered a spectacular seven-wicket haul to drive the Windies to their first Test win over Australia in 27 years. He has since backed up his maiden performance with further inspirational spells in both Test and T20Is.
The England international fast bowling quartet of Jake Ball, Saqib Mahmood, Ollie Robinson and Josh Hull are also on the list, along with Ireland’s left-arm seamer Josh Little, who will be seeking a return to South Africa’s premier T20 competition after playing for the Pretoria Capitals during the inaugural season.
New Zealand’s record-breaking T20I opener, Martin Guptill, could potentially add some explosive batting power to one of the six teams, while Sri Lanka’s rising star, Kamindu Mendis, will also be up for the taking. South Africa’s leading domestic players have also put their names forward with current Cricket SA T20 Player of the Year, Reeza Hendricks, topping the list.
With only 13 slots available, League Commissioner, Graeme Smith, expects another thrilling high-stakes auction: “Some of the biggest names on the international T20 circuit have already signed up for season 3 and I am looking forward to seeing how the teams finalise their squads from this competitive auction list of players,” he said.
After successfully being introduced in Season 2, the Rookie Player draft will once again feature after the main auction. A Rookie is a South African player aged 22 or under on the day of the auction that has not been contracted to SA20 before.
Players meeting the definition of a Rookie can be bought in the regular auction stage, but if not chosen in the regular auction, will then be eligible for the new Rookie draft which will take place at the conclusion of the regular auction.
As a testimony to the depth of the South African talent, five of the six Rookies selected at the last auction, in addition to a further two replacement Rookies, have been incorporated in the list of retained players by their respective teams for Season 3. A player signed up as a Rookie last season cannot be purchased as a Rookie at the auction on October 1 despite still meeting the age requirements.
All squads are required to include 19 players, with a minimum of 10 South African players, a maximum of seven international players, a Rookie, and a Wildcard player.
One team – Joburg Super Kings – still have the option to include the Wildcard player for Season 3 and will have until the December 30 deadline to confirm their selection. Paarl Royals have the biggest purse of R11.950m to spend at the auction. Western Cape neighbours MI Cape Town are next with R8.275m, followed by Pretoria Capitals with a spend of R4.575m.
Joburg Super Kings have R3.925m with back-to-back champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape having R2.845m to spend. Last season’s runners-up, Durban’s Super Giants, have an R2.35m remaining balance in their purse.
–IANS
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