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The rivalry between the two major franchised cricket leagues, South Africaof SA20 and United Arab Emiratesof ILT20has escalated into a war of words.
The third SA20 kicked off on January 9 and is expected to end on February 8, overlapping with ILT20. ILT20 will be held from January 11 to February 9, 2025. The scheduling conflict drew sharp comments from all sides. Graeme SmithFormer South African cricket team captain and current SA20 committee member. In response, a former Indian cricketer came out with a scathing criticism.
SA20 vs ILT20: A clash between two franchise cricket teams
Speaking of ILT20, Smith emphasized the unique identity of SA20 and criticized the UAE League. He emphasized that the difference between SA20 and ILT20 is that it is a South African league that mainly focuses on cultivating and benefiting South African players.
“We see ourselves as very different from ILT20. We are a South African league with mostly South African players and our ultimate goal is to benefit South African players.” Smith told the captain’s day press conference in Cape Town.
Graeme Smith has harsh words for ILT20
Smith said the positioning of SA20 in contrast to ILT20 made it difficult for him not to criticize the league. He believes that relying heavily on international players without investing in local cricket is harmful to the sport and poses a challenge to the future of global cricket.
“We were built for the ILT20 so it’s hard for me not to sound like I’m speaking ill of them, but I do feel a league like this is bad for the game; it takes a lot of international players to make a team; it doesn’t do the local cricket any good Make an investment. This is a challenge for world sports and an issue that needs to be addressed in the future,” he added.
return Watch: Joe Root cleans out George Linde with ripper in SA20 2025
India lEggend responded with a sharp retort
The former Indian cricketer elicits furious reactions Virender Sehwag mocked Smith, saying it suggested Smith’s comments were motivated by jealousy because, unlike the SA20, the ILT20 attracted a host of international stars. He also noted that ILT20 benefits from having a mix of established players and homegrown talent in the UAE, who gain valuable experience by playing alongside legends.
“I feel jealous because we have so many international stars coming in and their league lacks such international players. I can understand his pain, but this is even better for ILT20. You can see it here Established players as well as some local UAE talent playing alongside legends and seasoned pros.” Sehwag said on YouTube channel Snitch.
