League like ILT20 not good for the game: Graeme Smith

SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith did not mince his words when referring to the International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE, saying that the tournament is not good for the game as it does not promote local talents. 

According to the rules of the ILT20, as many as nine from the playing XI can be foreign players, leaving very little room for the local UAE talent to get in. The SA20, on the other hand, follows the same model as the Indian Premier League (IPL), where only four overseas are allowed in the XI.

"We see ourselves as very different to the ILT20. We're a South African league, with a majority of South African players, and our ultimate goal is to benefit South African players,” Smith said at the captain's day press conference in Cape Town.

"We've been built up against ILT20, so it's very difficult for me not to come across like I'm bad-mouthing them, but I do feel like a league like that is not good for the game; that there's that many international players required to build a team; there's no investment back into local cricket. That is a challenge for the world game and something that needs to be managed going forward."

The ILT20 will get underway from January 11 (Saturday) onwards. The SA20 begins on January 9 (Wednesday), with defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape taking on MI Cape Town in the season opener in Gqeberha.

You can watch all the ILT20 2025 matches live with English commentary on Fancode.