South Africa's T20 tournament to be called Mzansi Super League

Cricket South Africa has unveiled the name of its new T20 league. The inaugural Mzansi Super League (MSL) will take place from 16 November to 16 December.

"Mzansi" is an isiXhosa word that translates literally to "south", but in colloquial usage refers to the country of South Africa. The local spin on the league has been central to CSA's re-strategising after the failed first launch last year.

The six MSL teams will be owned locally, by CSA, and the league will be city-based, with CSA having announced the hosting stadiums on Thursday.

"I would like to thank everyone involved in putting this milestone project together," CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe said. "We look forward to welcoming, and being entertained by, some of the world's best cricketers. We are also confident that the MSL will serve the dual objective of becoming a launchpad for our next generation of T20 talent.

"The event tagline is 'FUN. FAST. FOR ALL', which speaks volumes about the competition's concept."

CSA has also aimed to maximise local viewership on the games on television, and the matches are set to be broadcast exclusively live by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) - South Africa's public broadcaster - on its television and radio platforms.

"Our plans are well under way to make the MSL T20 the hottest sport spectacle this summer," SABC chief operations officer Chris Maroleng said. "South African audiences deserve the best sport content and this partnership with CSA is at the heart of our commitment to deliver this promise. We are putting together a world-class production that will showcase the expertise of the SABC to the rest of the world."

The names of the six participating sides, the marquee South African players and the international signings will all form part of the competition Player Draft Matrix that will be held on October 15.

South Africa's tour of Australia in November concludes with a T20I at the Carrara Oval on 17 November, the day after the MSL is due to begin, and the MSL will clash with the Abu Dhabi T10 League, which runs from 23 November to 2 December, but CSA general manager of cricket and MSL playing affairs director Corrie van Zyl insisted that established names would be part of the event.

"We can assure fans that the talent set to participate in the MSL T20 will be top-class, featuring our established Proteas alongside their international counterparts, while also showcasing our up-and-coming local talent," van Zyl said.