South African legend Ab De Villiers mooted the idea of a women’s SA20 league, as the success of the men’s version across the three editions has given them a “model and recipe” to follow. Ab De Villiers, who is the brand ambassador of SA20, said the time is ripe to tap in on the general growth in women’s cricket.
Speaking in a select media interaction at Pretoria, the legendary cricketer Ab De Villiers praised the league for its role in nurturing young talent and expressed his aspirations for increased participation from Indian players.
Ab De Villiers Lauds SA20 for Nurturing Young Talent, Hopes for More Indian Player Participation in future SA20 leagues
As the SA20 tournament continues to carve its place in the world of franchise cricket, few voices carry as much weight as that of AB de Villiers. Speaking in a select media interaction at Pretoria, the legendary cricketer praised the league for its role in nurturing young talent and expressed his aspirations for increased participation from Indian players.
The former South African captain and global cricket icon emphasized that SA20’s appeal lies in its ability to unearth and showcase young talent. Reflecting on the tournament’s impact, de Villiers noted,
“Every year I arrive here and see players I’ve never heard of who look like they’ve been around for ages. I picked this up at the IPL many years ago and would always come back home and tell my parents, my wife, and my friends, ‘Listen, I don’t know how they do it, but every year there are these incredibly talented players that come through.’”
Drawing parallels to the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ab De Villiers commended SA20 for establishing a similar system.
“I’ve seen it firsthand as a former player and as a commentator that we’ve got that same system going. The fact that overseas players—not just any, but quality players—are coming over to play cricket here tells me that they want to be involved with this tournament,” he added.
The emergence of young talents like Lhuan-dre Pretorius has further elevated SA20’s reputation. Ab De Villiers believes that this tournament serves as an invaluable platform for rookies to gain experience, learn from top players, and prepare themselves for national duties with the Proteas.
Ab De Villiers Hopes for Greater Indian Participation in future SA20 Leagues
When asked about the involvement of Indian players in SA20, de Villiers expressed optimism while acknowledging the complexities surrounding the issue
“Absolutely, I’ve no idea whether it’s going to work or not. We know that sometimes the BCCI—no, not sometimes, they are a very powerful board. They know what they’re doing. They’ve been the biggest board in the world for many years now; they make good decisions on behalf of players and the business they’re running,” he remarked.
De Villiers highlighted the recent participation of Dinesh Karthik and the influence of Indian commentators like Robin Uthappa as positive signs. However, he acknowledged that regulatory challenges might slow the process.
“I really wish that we can have more of our Indian friends over there in the tournament. I can see it happening, but it’s not going to explode just right away in Season 4. I think it will gradually, slowly but surely get there,” he said.
Ab De Villiers believes that as SA20 continues to gain prominence on the global cricketing map, interest from Indian players and other international stars will naturally grow.
“The more the tournament gets on the map, the more people will be interested in being involved with SA20,” he concluded.
AB De Villiers also advised young players to keep learning.
“My advice would be just keep learning , keep your eyes open and always appreciate the privilege of being a part of the tournament and spending time with the best in the world.
“Ultimately they will realize that everyone is a human after all, the Joe Roots, the Kagiso Rabada’s and that is the most powerful thing they will realize in the changing room that they are just normal guys and I can also do what they have been doing,” he said.
The former batter also felt that players like Joe Root are needed in T20s to hold the innings together.
“I just want to see better cricket from the players. That’s a bit harsh but I think the batters fell into being too much T20 mode, overly aggressive.
“I still feel that there is time and place for the players like Joe Root who keeps the innings together and reads the game situations very well. You can’t just bat with the one pace every time, you need to shift gears,” he said
Lauding his former teammate and SA 20 Commissioner Graeme Smith for turning the league into a successful brand, De Villiers said the former’s leadership quality and understanding of the friendship with India has played a major role.
“He could have gone the either route to do it for ourselves or can use that for the people around and make it bigger and better.
“Graeme has played cricket and he understands how the tournament should look like. He was humble enough to use the expertise not only for South Africa but abroad as well,” he said.
With its growing reputation as a hub for emerging talent and increasing interest from international players, SA20 is poised to become one of the premier franchise leagues in world cricket. As de Villiers rightly pointed out, the journey has just begun, and the best is yet to come for this promising tournament.