CSA may postpone T20 league again

JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) will decide by the middle of September if it will host a T20 league and has strongly indicated that a second postponement is possible if the financial viability of the event is not secure.

The T20 league was earlier scheduled for last year but it was postponed due to non-availability of assured financial stream to nourish the league.

CSA’s league recently suffered another major blow when a pay-television broadcaster withdrew its equity share worth 49% from the new league, leaving CSA to fund the event entirely on its own.

The CSA had earlier decided to move away from private ownership of the league and had hence decided to keep majority stakes with itself. Now due to the withdrawal of the broadcaster which could have provided a major financial boost and sustainability to the league, things look bleak.

Also, there is a probability that four of the eight owners of the original T20 Global League are considering legal action against CSA, as reported by ESPNCricinfo.

CSA CEO Thabang Moroe said that cricket is in a healthy state in South Africa and they do not need a T20 league to sustain its health, also because it would take four to seven years for the league to break even.

“It is important to highlight that CSA is a profitable sporting federation and that much as we believe in the product, we do not have to host a T20 league to assure financial sustainability,” Moroe said.

“The game of cricket in SA is in a healthy state as demonstrated by the growth in cricket development at grassroots levels, a healthy pipeline of young future talent, as well as women’s cricket that has progressed with leaps and bounds,” he added.