Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has responded to former South Africa captain Graeme Smith’s critical comments on the International T20 League (ILT20). Virender Sehwag said Graeme Smith might be jealous of the International T20 League, which has several international stars.
ILT20 started on January 11 and will end on February 9. On the other hand, SA20 began on January 9 and concludes on February 8. Graeme Smith, who is the commissioner of the SA20 league, recently criticized the ILT20, stating that the UAE-based T20 tournament was not beneficial to the game.
Feel the jealousy there because we have a lot of international stars – Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag said Graeme Smith’s comments were motivated by jealousy. He stated that the ILT20 attracts a large number of international stars, while the SA20 has struggled to attract big names. Sehwag added that the combination of international players and local talent from the UAE is beneficial for the tournament.
“I feel jealous there because we have a lot of international stars coming, while their league is hungry for international players. I can understand his (Smith’s) pain, but this is even better for the ILT20. You can see established players here alongside with some local talent from the UAE rubbing shoulders with legends and seasoned professionals,” said Virender Sehwag on YouTube channel Snitch.
SA20 and ILT20 compete to become the second largest cricket league
SA20 and ILT20, competing from January to February from 2023, are vying to become the second most prominent franchise-based cricket league after the IPL. The SA20 has faced controversies, including South Africa losing the bilateral series, but has also led to the rise of several T20 players.
The SA20 follows the structure of T20 leagues, allowing teams to field up to four foreign players in their playing XI, with the majority of the team made up of local players. The ICC has imposed a limit on foreign players for T20 leagues, but partner nation events like ILT20 and MLC are exempt from this rule.
The ILT20 allows up to nine foreign players in the playing XI, with four local players also included in the list. In contrast, SA20 requires teams to have 11 local players in a 19-member squad, including at least one rookie under the age of 22 who has not played in the tournament before.
We see ourselves as very different from ILT20 – Graeme Smith
Speaking at the captain’s day press conference in Cape Town, Graeme Smith criticized the ILT20, stating that these types of leagues are detrimental to cricket because they lack sufficient investment in local cricket. He highlighted that SA20, unlike ILT20, focuses on benefiting South African players.
“We see ourselves as very different to ILT20. We are a South African league, with a majority of South African players, and our ultimate goal is to benefit South African players,” Smith said.
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