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Graeme Smith appointed as Commissioner of CSA's new T20 league
Follow UsThe 41-year-old will oversee both the cricketing and non-cricketing aspects of the tournament
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has been appointed as Commissioner of Cricket South Africa’s new T20 league, which is scheduled to take place in January and February next year.
"Smith brings with him tremendous experience and understanding of the game, having worked in the sport as a player, captain, commentator, ambassador, consultant and more recently as Cricket South Africa's (CSA) Director of Cricket (DoC)," the CSA said in a media release.
"His understanding of the game will add tremendous strength to the League. Recognised for his leadership qualities and decisive, clear thinking, Smith will lead the League which, outside of CSA, has SuperSport as one of its major shareholders."
The 41-year-old, who remains South Africa's most successful captain across formats, will oversee both the cricketing and non-cricketing aspects of the tournament.
"I'm extremely honoured to be entrusted with leading this exciting new venture. I'm deeply committed to South African cricket and happy to serve the game as best I can," said Smith.
"I'm excited by the opportunity to deliver the new league which I believe will be an extremely competitive product, one that can bring the much-needed investment into the game and provide new opportunities for players around the world and more importantly to our SA home grown talent. The response from stakeholders has been very positive thus far and we've made great progress in the initial stages."
Meanwhile, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa, Pholetsi Moseki added: "His expert understanding of the local and international cricketing environment will ensure the League delivers a thrilling product that will change the face of South African cricket for the better.
"This new league promises to make a significant investment into both professional cricket and development in South Africa, along with a positive socio-economic and tourism injection into the country. We are excited by the positive strides we have made so far and remain on track to deliver a league to inspire and entertain cricket fans around SA and the world."
According to a report on Cricbuzz, the Indian Premier League franchise owners have bagged all six franchises available in the league. The bidding for the teams is said to have closed on Wednesday (July 13). 29 Expressed interest to buy a franchise but it is eventually the IPL team owners who were able to rule over the proceedings.