Cricket South Africa on Thursday named the eight international marquee players who will be representing the various franchises in the first two years of the #T20 Global Destination League which gets underway later this year, a release informed.
The list includes former England star Kevin Pietersen, West Indies’ Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum of New Zealand, among other international stars.
“We are thrilled by the calibre of the top eight international players we have lined up to participate in our new #T20 League,” commented Haroon Lorgat, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa, according to the release. “They are all stars in their own right and will add great value to the franchise teams they will represent.This top quality list of players will set a high standard for our tournament. With each one of them a household name in the world of cricket, we can certainly look forward to some enthralling contests that will grip the imagination of fans in South Africa and around the globe.”
The list does not include any Indian stars, who have so far not been permitted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India to participate in any Twenty20 league other than the Indian Premier League.
Incidentally, Pietersen had skipped the ongoing season of the IPL, and is currently part of the commentary team for the broadcasters.
The eight international marquee players will be slotted into a mini-draft with the highest bidding franchise owner to receive first pick and the rest following the same process, the release stated.
“South Africa, as everyone knows, is very close to my heart,” Pietersen said who was born in South Africa, but played international cricket for England. “Being a part of something innovative in their cricketing structure really excites me. I am sure the fans will support this wonderful creation which will showcase a lot of the world’s best players.”
Franchise owners will be asked to consider the fact that some of these players, by virtue of having played for some years in South Africa, already hold strong ties to certain cities in South Africa.
Each franchise team will also be allocated a South African marquee player.
International Marquee Players
- Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)
- Chris Gayle (West Indies)
- Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
- Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)
- Eoin Morgan (England)
- Kevin Pietersen (England)
- Kieron Pollard (West Indies)
- Jason Roy (England)
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