Graeme Smith to lead new T20 competition in South Africa

Last week, it was confirmed that South Africa's ODI series in Australia was to be cancelled due to a clash with the inaugural edition of the tournament

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has been appointed to lead South Africa's new T20 league, which is set to begin next January.

Smith, who more recently was Cricket South Africa's director of cricket, has been named as the commissioner of the new competition, which has made headlines in recent days.

Last week, it was confirmed that South Africa's ODI series in Australia was to be cancelled due to a clash with the inaugural edition of the tournament. As a result, the Proteas' automatic qualification for the next 50-over World Cup has been thrown into doubt.

"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," said Smith.

^{South Africa's ODI series in Australia has been cancelled due to a clash with the T20 tournament (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)}

A statement from Cricket South Africa described Smith's initial responsibilities as "developing the brand and confirming the participating franchises".

Pholetsi Moseki, the chief executive of the national governing body, 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."

The competition, which doesn't yet have a name, was unveiled in April, alongside broadcasters SuperSport, with six privately owned teams to play 10 matches each over a monthlong window.

Andrew Breetzke, the CEO of the South African Cricketers' Association, told The Cricketer that the decision to cancel the ODI series in Australia was "the canary in the mine scenario".

He added: "It's South Africa now, but it's not always going to be South Africa. You've got a country saying: 'We're so worried about our financial future, that our future is not in bilateral cricket, it's in securing another source of income.'"

Related Topics

• South Africa pull out of Australia ODIs as World Cup qualification hopes take a hit

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