Last Updated:
Virender Sehwag reacted to Graeme Smith’s claims that franchise leagues like ILT20 were different from SA20.
Virender Sehwag (PTI)
India legend Virender Sehwag has taken a dig at Graeme Smith’s sharp remarks on International League T20. A few days back the former South Africa skipper and SA20 commissioner made some critical comments on the ILT20, claiming that the tournament wasn’t good for the sport. Sehwag reacted to Smith’s assessment on Switch’s YouTube channel. The retired India star claimed the South Africa icon was ‘jealous’ for not getting a whole lot of international talents for the SA20. “I sense jealousy there because we have a plethora of international stars coming in, whereas their league is starved of such international players.,” Sehwag said, as per multiple outlets.
At the Captain’s Day press conference in Cape Town, Graeme Smith made claims that franchise leagues like ILT20 were different from SA20. “We see ourselves as very different to the ILT20. We’re a South African league, with a majority of South African players, and our ultimate goal is to benefit South African players,” he said. Smith opined that such leagues should be managed because there wasn’t enough investment in local cricket. “It’s very difficult for me to not come across like I’m bad-mouthing them, but I do feel like a league like that is not good for the game; that there’s that many international players required to build a team; there’s no investment back into local cricket,” the former South Africa skipper added.
Virender Sehwag was not a huge fan of Graeme Smith’s comments. In his reply, the retired India opener suggested that he understood Smith’s ‘pain’. “I can understand his (Smith’s) pain, but this is even better for the ILT20. You get to see established players here along with some local UAE talent who are rubbing shoulders with legends and experienced pros,” Sehwag added in his recent statement.
The third edition of the ILT20 commenced on Wednesday, January 15. The tournament witnessed the participation of six teams that featured some renowned names in world cricket. The MI Emirates are the reigning champions of the franchise T20 tournament. They had defeated the Dubai Capitals by 45 runs in 2024.
As for the SA20, the tournament saw the participation of prominent international stars like Joe Root, Dinesh Karthik, Jonny Bairstow and Rashid Khan. The South African franchise league is also in its third edition. The Sunrisers Eastern Cape won the last two tournaments in 2023-24.
