SA20 not threatened by BBL's aim to be second-biggest league after IPL, says Smith

The SA20 organisers believe they have established enough of a foothold not to be threatened by the BBL's aim to become the second-biggest league in the world after the IPL, according to commissioner Graeme Smith.

The SA20, which will begin its fourth season on Boxing Day this year and has IPL ownership across all six franchises, has the second-highest salary cap after the IPL of R41 million (US$2.31 million). By that measure, it could be regarded as the next-best league in the global game and with a marquee auction scheduled for September 9, Smith explained they plan to stay that way.

"When we started we were built up against the ILT20 and Big Bash and we set ourselves big ambitions upfront," Smith told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the closing of player registration for the auction. "In the southern hemisphere window we want to dominate and we want to be the biggest league outside the IPL. Three years in, we've set the standard. Every decision we make is around making sure that we uphold those standards. I expect there will be a top number of leagues that will elevate themselves in a calendar cycle and that will be the priority for players, investors and fans. Our ambitions are to remain right at the top of that alongside IPL.

Smith's comments come less than two weeks after CA CEO Todd Greenberg told SEN radio that his board would "unashamedly" chase second spot by exploring privatisation. "It's going to be very hard to chase the IPL, given the scale of cricket in India, but unashamedly, we want to run a league that comes second. And to do that we're going to need to make sure that player availability and player salaries are commensurate with everything else that goes on around the world, and there's one thing you need for that, you need money, you need investment. We'd be naive if we weren't asking ourselves these questions and making sure we've got an eye on what's next," Greenberg said.

The BBL's move to seek private investment will make it the last of the established leagues to look for funding outside of board structures. The Hundred is the most recent to make the same moves, with deals for six out of their eight teams finalised ahead of next season. While happenings in the Hundred do not affect the SA20 because it is played in a different window, the BBL clashes with the SA20, which could mean a clash over status and crucially, player availability.

Again, Smith had reason to be bullish. While the BBL is played at the same time as Australia's international summer and so does not have Test players fully available, all South Africa's national and domestically contracted players will prioritise the SA20, even if at the expense of international games. South Africa sent an understrength Test side to New Zealand last year, as an example of this policy in action. At the time, it drew criticism, but with South Africa going on to win the World Test Championship final, Smith sees it as proof that formats can co-exist if the planning is right.

"Everyone was worried that we were going to destroy Test cricket but we've seen our national team go on a few years later to win the World Test Championship final. We've all played our role in the ecosystem," he said. "We've been part of bringing gravitas back to South African cricket, seeing new fans come back to the game and new energy."

At the same time, the SA20 also attracts internationals from other countries and last year had several English Test players, who had the winter off, join the tournament. This season, with the Ashes on, could be different but Smith still anticipates a strong contingent.

"In the first two seasons we saw a lot of the England white-ball players come through and then with the FTP ebbing and flowing every year that changes," he said. "So this year with the Ashes, we see some of those white ball players come back and maybe the Test players won't form part of this season. The Ashes finishes on the ninth (of January, 2026). I don't know if some of their players will form part of replacement lists but we've seen the likes of a Jos Butler come back into the tournament this year as an example."

Buttler, who played for Paarl Royals in the first two seasons, has been pre-signed by Durban's Super Giants for the fourth season. Each franchise was allowed a maximum of six retentions or pre-signed players ahead of the new season. Of the 36 spots available, only a third (13) have been filled by South African players which Smith believes will create a lively auction. "I expected a lot more top South African players to pre-sign and that didn't happen," he said. "From our perspective it's set up a very exciting auction with a very big purse."

The fourth season of the SA20 will be played over the festive period as South Africa do not host any home Tests this summer. Matches will not be played on any of the new drop-in pitches which are planned for the 2027 ODI World Cup but Smith hopes the lack of cricket this season will result in surfaces with a bit more life in them compared to last year, when they showed signs of wear.

"The pitches last year didn't play as well as we would have liked and it's something that's being worked on in terms of revamping stadiums and facilities ahead of the World Cup," he said. "We're working closely with Cricket South Africa in terms of improving the quality of stadiums, lights and pitches. Everything is a big work in progress behind the scenes."

The SA20 auction will take place in Johannesburg on September 9. Player registration for the auction closes on Monday, August 18.