The
T20 Global League is making all the right noises nowadays and two prominent
Indians have associated with Cricket South Africa by acquiring franchises.
While
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who also owns IPL franchise Kolkata Knight
Riders, has been named owner of the Cape Town franchise of Cricket South
Africa’s upcoming T20 League, businessman and media mogul Ajay Sethi has
acquired the Port Elizabeth franchise.
Outlining
his plans to local media and stakeholders at a welcoming event in Port
Elizabeth, Sethi said, “Port Elizabeth is a beautiful city and is deeply
entrenched with interesting cricketing history. I am very pleased and proud to
represent this city as my franchise team. In the coming weeks, we look forward
to working very closely with the Mayor and City Council to put together a
robust plan of action to create value for both the city and the team.”
He
further added, “In addition, I would like to extend my thanks to CSA (Cricket
South Africa) in accepting our bid and giving us an opportunity to become a
part of this exciting T20 Global League journey. This tournament is about the
fans, the players, rekindling the magic and reviving the battles, between bat
and ball, between heart and mind, showing the world what makes this game
extraordinary.”
Marquee
player Imran Tahir, who has great expectations, gushed, “I’m really looking
forward to the new team; I hope we as Protea players and the international
marquee players make this league the best league in the world and show what
South Africa is all about.”
Andrew
Whitfield, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Development, Tourism and
Agriculture for Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality also attended the event. He too
is excited by the possibilities presented to the city by the T20 Global League.
“This
franchise has further incentivized us to invest and support our cricket
infrastructure for the city. The T20
Global League will show the youth in PE that there is opportunity in sport.
Working together with Ajay Sethi and CSA, we can leverage opportunities beyond
cricket,” Whitfield concluded.
Former
ICC CEO and current CEO of Cricket South Africa (CSA), Haroon Lorgat, who feels
they have a winner up their sleeves, said, “Fans can look forward to epic game
experiences, complimented by action-packed stadiums, big entertainment, top
class broadcasters and accessible ticket prices. We can firmly say that the era
of 'sportainment' has dawned upon us. It's now South Africa's time to
capitalise while reigniting and celebrating our love for the game.”
The
player draft is scheduled for 19 August, with almost 400 players from 10
countries confirming their interest.
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