Payout for Global League T20 players

Players who saw their dreams shattered when the Global League T20 series was cancelled recently, will at least get something out of it.

Cricket South Africa has announced that an amicable arrangement has been made to compensate all the players who missed out when the launch of the ambitious world-class series was postponed until November 2018. The 2017 edition had been rushed through and was found to be unsustainable due to a series of difficulties, including the lack of a broadcaster.

After intense negotiations with the South African Cricketers Association, it was agreed to pay compensation in three instalments between December and April next year. No details were released as to how much would be paid to the 138 contracted players.

Some franchise players, such as Dane Paterson and Jon-Jon Smuts, who had been diligently toiling away on the local circuit with little reward, were made instant millionaires when picked in the first draft by franchise owners at the player auction.

The 16 rounds of draft picks all came with a different cash bracket, with the first round seeing players pocketing R1.75 million and the final two rounds presenting the chosen ones with R130 000.

Andile Phehlukwayo, at just 21, had been picked in the third round by the Joburg Giants, and was to have earned R1.3 million.

Robbie Frylinck, Lungi Ngidi, Shaun von Berg, Rassie van der Dussen, Bjorn Fortuin, Chris Jonker and Heinrich Klaasen, were among those due to receive R1.105 million in the fourth-round pick.

‘The settlement will help bridge the gap between player expectation and the disappointment of having to postpone the league,’ said CSA Acting Chief Executive Thabang Moroe. ‘Our players are key stake holders in the game and are also CSA’s most valuable assets which is why we invest heavily in our development programmes to produce our best possible national side.’

‘I would like to thank SACA for the amicable manner in which this issue was settled in the best interests of South African cricket and the sustainability of its development and international cricket programmes,’ he added.

Tony Irish, chief executive of SACA, hailed the outcome, saying the settlement ‘is both fair and responsible and has been well received by the players.’