By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Dom Barnardt/Sportzpics.
Betway SA20 Season 5 Player Auction is set to take place on Wednesday, October 7, will see 156 cricketers go under the hammer with 19 slots up for grabs.
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.
This year’s auction is smaller as most teams have retained their core squads from the previous season.
Durban’s Super Giants and Paarl Royals have finalised their 19-player rosters and will not participate in the auction.
The first four Auctions have produced fairytale stories, from Tristan Stubbs’ R9.2m deal at the inaugural Auction to Dewald Brevis’ record-breaking R16.5m last season.
Beyond the headline deals, several local cricketers have become millionaires overnight, and most have been given the chance to show their talent to a global audience in front of packed stadiums, which has often led to more opportunities on the global circuit.
Joburg Super Kings have the largest purse with R20.6 million and are ready to enter a fresh era at the Bullring, with former Proteas all-rounder Albie Morkel the new head coach.
MI Cape Town are second on the list with R9.35 million and will be looking to fill six slots.
Experienced South Africans headline the local talent pool, including former Joburg Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis, all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and top-order batter Rassie van der Dussen.
Du Plessis’s appetite for the franchise circuit remains strong by virtue of the veteran recently topping the run-scoring charts in Europe.
The two Under-23 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.
Three-time champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape have R3.6m for two slots, and last season’s runners-up Pretoria Capitals have R1.475m for five. Value picks from a strong overseas pool could matter most to them.
The English contingent is the largest. Test captain Joe Root and former T20 World Cup-winning skipper Jos Buttler are pre-signed by Paarl Royals and Durban’s Super Giants respectively, and could be joined by more of their countrymen, including all-rounder Rehan Ahmed, new England Test hero Jordan Cox, Reece Topley and Luke Wood.
SA20’s fifth season is expected to feature a star-studded lineup and attract significant global attention. See the full player list here: SA20 Full Player List.