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The rivalry between two major franchise cricket leagues, South Africa’s SA20 and the UAE’s ILT20, has escalated into a war of words.
The SA20, which kicked off its third edition on January 9 and is set to conclude on February 8, overlaps with the ILT20, running from January 11 to February 9, 2025. This scheduling clash has drawn sharp comments from Graeme Smith, the former South African cricket captain and current commissioner of SA20. In response, a former Indian cricketer fired back with pointed criticism.
SA20 vs ILT20: Clash between two franchise cricket
Speaking about the ILT20, Smith emphasized the distinct identity of SA20 and criticized the UAE-based league, he emphasized that SA20 distinguishes itself from ILT20 by being a South African league primarily focused on developing and benefiting South African players.
“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 in the captains’ day press conference in Cape Town .
Graeme Smith’s harsh remarks on ILT20
Smith expressed that SA20 has been positioned in contrast to ILT20, making it hard for him not to criticize the league. He believes that relying heavily on international players without investing in local cricket is harmful to the game and presents a challenge for global cricket’s future.
“We’ve been built up against ILT20, so it’s very difficult for me to not 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,” he added.
Also WATCH: Joe Root cleans up George Linde with a ripper in the SA20 2025
Indian legend responds with a sharp retort
In a fiery response, the former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag took a dig at Smith, saying that suggested that Smith’s comments were driven by jealousy, as the ILT20 attracts numerous international stars, unlike SA20. He also pointed out that the ILT20 benefits from having a mix of established players and local UAE talent, who gain valuable experience by playing alongside legends.
“I sense jealousy there because we have a plethora of international stars coming in, whereas their league is starved of such international players. I can understand his pain, but this is even better for the ILT20. You get to see established players here along with some local UAE talent who are rubbing shoulders with legends and experienced pros,” Sehwag said on the YouTube channel Snitch.
