Johannesburg, Oct 1 (IANS) 95 South African cricketers and 61 overseas stars are set to go under the hammer at the October 7 auction for 19 remaining slots ahead of the milestone in Season 5 of the SA20, South Africa's franchise-based domestic T20 competition.
A total of 789 players had registered for the auction, which has now grown into one of the most anticipated events on the South African sporting calendar, before the list was trimmed down to 156 players.
It will be a smaller auction compared to last year, with most of the teams having retained their core group from the previous edition. Durban’s Super Giants and Paarl Royals have already completed their 19-player squads and will not be taking part in the auction. A maximum of $2.11 million will be spent, with Joburg Super Kings and MI Cape Town having to fill six slots each.
Former JSK skipper Faf du Plessis, all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, pacer Nandre Burger and veteran top-order batter Rassie van der Dussen will be among some of the biggest South African names on whom the four teams will have their eyes. Du Plessis’s appetite for the franchise circuit remains strong, with the veteran recently topping the run-scoring charts in Europe.
The two U23 spots are expected to be hotly contested. After fetching the joint-highest bid in the Season 2 auction, fast bowler Matthew Boast features strongly in this category, along with former SA U19 captain Jason Rowles.
The first four auctions have produced fairytale stories, from Tristan Stubbs’ $554,693 deal at the inaugural auction to Dewald Brevis’ record-breaking $994,834 deal last season.
Beyond the headline deals, several local cricketers have become millionaires overnight, with most being given the chance to showcase their talent to a global audience in front of packed stadiums, often leading to more opportunities on the global circuit.
Among the overseas players, Kieron Pollard, Trent Boult, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamar Joseph, Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Jordan Cox, Aneurin Donald, Rehan Ahmed and Richard Gleeson are some of the biggest and most highly anticipated names in the auction.
With the likes of Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Sam Curran, Sunil Narine, Kane Williamson, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Marsh and Phil Salt already part of the franchise rosters, Season 5 promises a star-studded affair, with several global T20 superstars set to feature in the competition.
--IANS
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