The upcoming second season of the SA20 tournament in South Africa will attract international stars, including several English players. However, with the tournament scheduled to take place in January, it may overlap with England’s Test trip to India. While some players may miss the India tour, the SA20 offers an exciting opportunity to showcase their skills in the T20 format.
Prominent English players have already been signed up for the SA20 tournament, adding star power and quality to the participating teams. England’s white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, will return to represent the Paarl Royals, bringing his explosive batting prowess to the competition. Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran will join him, who have been retained by MI Cape Town, and Moeen Ali, who will feature for Joburg Super Kings alongside Essex seamer Sam Cook. Tom Banton, Liam Dawson, Dawid Malan, and Reece Topley have also secured spots with different franchises.
Unfortunately, the SA20 tournament is set to clash with England’s Test tour of India. As a result, most English players who have committed to the SA20 are unlikely to feature in the India series. This clash presents a challenge for the players and the England team management, as they must find a balance between allowing players to participate in the SA20 and maintaining a strong squad for the Test matches in India.
Among the English contingent, Moeen Ali and Sam Curran are the most likely to be considered for selection in the India series. Their versatile skills and recent performances make them strong contenders to contribute to the team’s success in challenging subcontinent conditions. However, decisions regarding player availability will depend on various factors, including player form, workload management, and team strategies.
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The pre-signing window for the SA20 tournament has concluded, but teams still have options to trade players, retain overseas talents from the 2023 squads, or buy out players on multi-year deals until July 31. With an increased salary pot of £250,000 for each franchise, teams can assemble competitive squads for the upcoming season.
SA20 SQUADS*
Durban Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Mayers, Naveen-ul-Haq, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Reece Topley
Joburg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Gerald Coetzee, Moeen Ali, David Wiese, Sam Cook, Zahir Khan
MI Cape Town: Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Rashid Khan, Tom Banton
Paarl Royals: David Miller, Corbin Bosch, Jos Buttler, Obed McCoy
Pretoria Capitals: Migael Pretorius, Anrich Nortje, Jimmy Neesham
Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Aiden Markram, Ottniel Bartman, Dawid Malan, Liam Dawson
*correct as of July 6, 2023 – subject to change
