The much-anticipated second season of the South Africa T20 league, known as SA20, is set to kick off on January 10, 2024, and will run through February 10. This season is officially titled Betway SA20 2024, thanks to a significant sponsorship collaboration.
The league features prominent teams with seasoned captains and head coaches. Durban’s Super Giants, led by Keshav Maharaj and coached by Lance Klusene with home ground named Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban. Joburg Super Kings, captained by Faf du Plessis and under the coaching guidance of Stephen Fleming, will call Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, their home.
MI Cape Town, with Rashid Khan as captain and Robin Peterson as head coach, will have Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town as their home ground. Paarl Royals, led by David Miller and coached by Shane Bond have Boland Park, Paarl as their home ground.
On the other hand, Pretoria Capitals’ home ground is Centurion Park, Centurion. They are captained by Ethan Bosch and coached by Graham Ford. Sunrisers Eastern Cape will play under Aiden Markram’s captaincy and coached by Adrian Birrell. Their home ground is George’s Park Cricket Ground, Gqeberha.
Each coach, gearing up for the league, has shared their perspectives, adding an extra layer of excitement and anticipation for SA20. Here are their statements:
Joburg Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said:
“The way South Africa’s cricket-loving public embraced the tournament was wonderful to see. Season 1 gave a glimpse of what the SA20 can be in the years to come: competitive cricket, terrific fan following and plenty of young talent from South Africa. I’m looking forward to more of the same in Season 2,”
“The atmosphere in our home venue, Wanderers, in particular was amazing. Fittingly, the quality of cricket was top-notch. We have retained our core from last year and made some fresh additions to the squad via the auction. We’re looking forward to putting up another competitive campaign this year.”
MI Cape Town coach Peterson said:
“Coaching in the SA20 is a big honour for me. South Africa’s cricketing talent makes it special, and I believe this season will be even more spectacular. We have taken the learnings from the first season and come up with a squad that we have a lot of confidence in. Armed with seasoned internationals and talented youngsters, we’re set for the season ahead. We are excited to reconnect with our amazing fans who turned up to the stadiums in huge numbers in the first season. We want to put on a show for them and entertain them by playing the MI brand of cricket!”
Paarl Royals’ Shane Bond added:
“I will be coming back to South Africa after a gap of 10 years so I’m really excited as it’s a really cool place to play cricket,”
“I watched the league from the outside in the first season, and it seemed great on the tele with amazing crowds turning up for the games. I’m really excited at the opportunity of working with the Miller’s, Ngidi’s and Shamsi’s in our set-up. The passion and popularity for cricket is obviously huge in South Africa, especially when you talk about white ball competitions like the SA20.”
Durban’s Super Giants coach Lance Klusener stated:
“We’re in it, to win it no doubt! The first step to that is to make the playoffs. We have a very well-balanced squad of players to challenge any team on any surface. I am looking forward to the challenge.”
Pretoria Capitals coach Graham Ford narrated:
“Season 1 was thoroughly enjoyable and I personally am really looking forward to once again having the privilege of witnessing the energy, excitement, commitment and passion of the Capitals players. Our aim will be to further expand and develop the exciting and enjoyable brand of cricket produced by the Capitals in Season 1,”
Sunrisers Eastern Cape coach, Adrian Birrell said:
“We are very excited for January and SA20 2024. Every team has got stronger this year so it will be a challenge to defend the Trophy. We can’t wait for our first match against Joburg Super Kings on January 10th. We had terrific support last season and we look forward to the unique St George’s Park vibe to swing us along. Last season was a huge success for cricket in South Africa and I am sure the public as a whole will help showcase this to be one of the premier T20 leagues around the globe.”
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