Proliferation of T20 leagues puts squeeze on bilateral tours

The rise of lucrative franchise-based T20 leagues was never going to be a bloodless coup and South Africa’s withdrawal from their tour of Australia this week suggests bilateral cricket, especially in the short formats, will be the casualty.

New Delhi: January’s trip across the Indian Ocean to play three One-day Internationals clashed with the launch of a new T20 league in the republic and Cricket South Africa (CSA) wanted its Proteas players available.

Forfeiting the series could yet have an impact on South Africa’s chances of qualifying directly for next year’s World Cup in India, but the CSA was crystal clear about its priorities.

“A lot of people are investing a lot of money in the T20 league,” Chief Executive Pholetsi Moseki told Cricinfo. “We have to give it the best chance of success.”