Titans spinner Tabraiz Shamsi will be one of a number of national players in action in the local T20 Challenge that gets underway on Friday. Picture: Gallo Images.
Cricket South Africa’s T20 Challenge, which gets underway in Durban on Friday, will be broadcast on multiple networks globally.
Star India, Fox Sports (Australia) and Willow TV (North America) have acquired the rights to broadcast all 17 matches of the domestic tournament from 19-28 February.
This year’s tournament, which will be aired locally on SuperSport, will also see the Proteas available for selection alongside emerging domestic cricketers with six franchises competing for the coveted T20 title.
ALSO READ: Proteas contracts are up for grabs, says Smith, as focus turns to domestic game
Acting Chief Executive Officer Pholetsi Moseki commented: “We are delighted to have finalised our broadcast schedule for the CSA T20 Challenge. To have the tournament beamed across the world is another wonderful opportunity to showcase the talent that this country has to offer.
“Furthermore, the expression of interest from these broadcasters shows there is a real appetite for South African cricket, and this is testament to the good work that is being done at grassroots level to continue harvesting players of a high quality.
“Not only will the global audience get to see some of the up-and-coming talent, but they will also get to see our Proteas in action alongside them. The likes of Kagiso Rabada, David Miller and Tabraiz Shamsi, to mention a few, will all be featuring in the 2020/21 edition of the competition and they will add that extra edge to the event.”
ALSO READ: Proteas captain De Kock takes ‘mental health’ break
Rebecca McCloy, Foxtel’s Director of Acquisitions and Sports Partnerships, said: “We have just experienced a fantastic summer of cricket in Australia with audiences for our Test series and domestic T20 series reaching new records. Cricket fans can’t get enough, and we are incredibly pleased to bring the CSA T20 Challenge series to audiences in Australia.”
Starting on Friday, the entire tournament will take place in a bio-secure environment (BSE) at Kingsmead Stadium, in Durban.
The Titans will face the Knights in the opening match on Friday at 10am, before the Dolphins take on the Cobras in the second match of the day at 2.30pm.
The Lions, who won the last edition of the tournament in 2019, begin their defence against the Warriors on Saturday, at 10am.
The remaining fixtures will take place in quick succession with double-headers scheduled for seven of the eight pool phase match-days, followed by a second and third place play-off ahead of the final on Sunday, 28 February at 3pm.
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
