Opinion Sport

T20 twerk: Let’s hope CSA and Biff’s selling out was worth it

Matthew Marcus|Published

RISKING IT ALL: Graeme Smith

Missy Elliott once said: “Ain’t no shame ladies, do your thing. Just make sure you ahead of the game.”

There’s nothing wrong with some twerking for that sweet cash, if it’s not about twerking for that cash. You’ve gotta make it “worth it”.

So let’s hope “the game” was the reason for the Magic Mike act new SA20 league commissioner Graeme Smith’s and Cricket South Africa (CSA) put on for Indian Premier League (IPL) owners.

Whether you like it or not, the T20 format is where the game is at right now.

And CSA is throwing everything they have got at this format of the game.

After branding their new SA20 as a mini-IPL, one could even say they have sold their soul to get that Indian money.

But let’s talk about something positive for a change.

Cape Town’s franchise is shaping up nicely ahead of next week’s player auction.

MI (Mumbai Indians) Cape Town already have some exciting talents involved in Proteas spearhead Kagiso Rabada and young batting hotshot Dewald Brewis.

AT THE TOP: MI’s Zaheer Khan and Mahela Jayawardene

Whoever they add to the squad, I’m more interested in the local talent of course - that’s where our future lies.

This tournament after all must only be seen as a means to an end for CSA, in that it needs to bankroll the development of the domestic game - not line the pockets of the Indian owners or incoming international stars.

One aspect, I’m actually excited about is the Mumbai Indians group bringing in their top coaching talents Mahela Jayawardene and Zaheer Khan.

NEW ROLE: Coach Hashim Amla

While they might not have hands-on involvement with the players, their new roles to oversee the franchise’s performance can only be a good thing.

Sri Lanka legend Jayawardene has taken his allround batting brilliance across all formats from his playing days into his coaching career by dominating the IPL recently.

It’s a massive plus for SA player to get some pearls of wisdom from him.

Jayawardene’s colleague, Khan, had amazing control as a seam bowler for India.

His variations, trademark knuckle ball and swinging skills will be valuable knowledge for any cricketer.

Under them, head coach Simon Katich brings a vast amount of T20 coaching experience to the team and he will be helped by local legends Hashim Amla (batting coach) and Robin Peterson (general manager).

INVOLVED: Hero Robin Peterson

This “partnering up” with the Indian game has to be mutually beneficial beyond the cash and the eyes on the game.

Cricket in Mzansi can’t afford another wrong move - we have seen the game go from one crisis to the next in the last decade.

And risking becoming a satellite IPL is a move I just can’t square.

CSA has some ground to cover if they want the Proteas to be reckoned as one of the best teams in the world again.

But they just can’t seem to manage to avoid the potholes on the road to success.

Their humbling by England in their recent away Test series will stay with them for some time.

And on top of that, coach Mark Boucher has decided to call it a day with the national team and will step down after next month’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

While the Boucher era was by no means a success, I’m hoping that his decision to gooi n lange can fire the players for the tournament.

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