An Important update from the SA20 | Wildcard picks, Pakistani Players? And more:
In an important update regarding the SA20, earlier today, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has allowed Pakistan players to sign up with the CSA’s SA20 league. This move from PCB comes in as a surprise, especially after none of the Pakistan players were a part of the main player auction.
The postponed West Indies tour of Pakistan opens up a window for players to participate in the new South African league and therefore this change from PCB came in after the option of additional wild card entries was introduced in the league.
The introduction of this option means that the teams can now pick one extra player in their squads. Speaking about this new introduction the commissioner of the SA20 league Graeme Smith said : “We are introducing a wildcard pick, following the World Cup, we will allow teams to pick one other player. From a league perspective, we don’t get involved with selection. The teams go to the market and pick.”
It is expected that at least two players from Pakistan who do not have PCB central contracts are aiming to secure deals, however the PCB has also allowed the players with central contracts to play in the league.
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The SA20 auction took place in September with a long list of 533 players. Pakistan players did not feature in the original auction, because it was thought that most of the top players will be involved in a busy home international season, however with the postponement of the West Indies series the PCB have changed its mind and the players have been granted permission to feature in the SA20 league.
The first edition of the SA T20 League will be held in January 2023 and a total of six teams will participate in the tournament. Apart from the SA20, many other leagues would also be played at the same time including the ILT20 league in the UAE, Australia’s BBL, and the BPL in Bangladesh, and the PSL is also set to start in early February.
