Johannesburg — The SA20 has allowed the six franchises to sign an additional player ahead of the tournament’s start on January 10.
That may open the door to including Pakistani players, who weren’t part of the initial auction in October, while there may be the possibility of a team signing Temba Bavuma, who also wasn’t picked up at the auction, causing a lot of brouhaha as a result.
“The wild card offers our teams an opportunity to add another world-class player to their squad,” league commissioner Graeme Smith said.
Players will come in at a minimum base fee of R175 000, with teams using their discretion to select the calibre of players to bolster their squads, which will move from a playing personnel of 17 to 18. Players who were not registered for the auction are eligible for selection.
Pakistan were due to face the West Indies early in the new year, which would have meant their players not being available for the SA20. That has now changed, and the T20 World Cup runners-up could feature among the wild cards.
Each squad will be allowed to have a maximum of eight overseas players, and the maximum of four on-field overseas players at any time during a match remains unchanged. The teams’ salary cap following the auction will remain outside of the wild card player’s fee.
Teams have until December 30 to make their selections.
IOL Sport