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Eight team owners announced for South Africa’s new T20 Global League

Abdullah719

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LONDON - Cricket South Africa (CSA) today officially announced the successful eight Team Owners who, in a clear vote of confidence in South Africa’s new T20 Global League, have earned the right to be part of cricketing history.

After much anticipation and with excitement at an all-time high, the reveal took place at a well-attended industry launch event at London’s most prestigious hotel, The Bvlgari, London. The event set the tone for a new standard in T20 cricket.

EY (previously known as Ernst & Young) ran the team owner selection process to ensure integrity, compliance and due diligence was followed throughout the process by both CSA and potential owners.

“Competition was stiff, with more than 150 Expressions of Interest (EOI) received from around the world and a shortlist of heavy hitters to consider, but after rigorous discussions and engagement with each of the potential owners, we are certain that our final eight owners have the perfect combination of strategic insight and passion needed to make the first T20 Global League a complete success,” said CSA President, Chris Nenzani.

The official eight team owners, host cities and marquee players are:

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Joining the owners will be the eight Protea Marquee Players who have now been assigned to a team on the basis of the city they have historically been associated with or a city they will be able to build a strong association with. Alongside the Protea marquee players, the eight International marquee players that were previously announced will help drive the global spirit of competition as the franchises battle for top spot.

“The announcement of the team owners is a key milestone to successfully launch our T20 Global League,” commented CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat. “We are thrilled by the international mix of owners and the passion and excitement that was clearly demonstrated during the bidding process by them and the marquee players. It sets up our #T20GL as a fans favourite in the cricketing calendar.”

The player draft is scheduled for 19 August, with almost 400 players from 10 countries confirming their interest.
 
Cape Town welcomes Kolkata Knight Riders franchise to Newlands

Newlands Cricket Stadium, previously voted by The Cricketer magazine as the number-2 ranked cricket stadium on the globe, will host a world-class T20 team, the Kolkata Knight Riders during the T20 Global League in November – December this year.

Cricket South Africa announced the franchise owners and hosting cities in a ceremony in the UK on Monday, with local-boy JP Duminy confirmed as the marquee Proteas player assigned to the Cape Town franchise.

An international marquee player will be assigned to the Cape Town Knight Riders, as well as two rookies and there will be four non-local players per squad. Only players eligible for the Proteas are classified as local.

“I am extremely excited that the KKR team under the astute leadership of one of the world’s all-time greats who played his cricket under the shadows of the oaks, Jacques Kallis, will call Newlands home during the T20 Global League, said Nabeal Dien, chief executive officer of the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA).

“The record of KKR is superlative and anybody playing against them will have a daunting task. Just remember that they were the champions in the Indian Premier League in 2012 and 2014 and a semi-finalist in 2017,” added Dien.

The local marquee players assigned to the eight franchise teams are Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir.

The international marquee players are Dwayne Bravo (West Indies), Chris Gayle (West Indies), Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand), Eoin Morgan (England), Kevin Pietersen (England), Kieron Pollard (West Indies) and Jason Roy (England).

“We don’t have any doubt that many of the top players would love to ply their trade at Newlands as this is one of the inspirational grounds in the world and its curator, Evan Flint, was recently crowned as the best groundsman in South Africa at the CSA awards ceremony,” commented Beresford Williams, president of the WPCA.

“Since the dawn of the new millennium, Newlands and the WPCA have been the nurseries that have produced 21 international players, while the Cobras have won eight titles since the inception of the franchise format in 2014/2015,” said David Brooke, Brand Activation and Sponsorship Manager of the WPCA

“Also, Newlands is undoubtedly the venue with the most die-hard fans in the country and any event with an international flavour usually draws a packed stadium. Recent examples that spring to mind was the Test against England in 2016 when more than 85 000 spectators attended,” Brooke added

“In the 2015/2016 season, more than 147 000 spectators turned up to support South Africa, and one can expect the same from the crowd, who will turn up in their tens of thousands to give their vocal and vociferous support to the Knight Riders at Newlands,” said Dien.

The owner of KKR with a 55 % shareholding is Shah Rukh Khan, an Indian film personality.

“We are looking forward to work in close co-operation with Mr Khan, Jacques (Kallis) and the rest of the management team,” Dien added.

“We are grateful to Cricket South Africa for the commitment they have made to upgrade all the international grounds, with an estimated R13m set to be spent on upgrading facilities at Newlands,” Dien concluded.

“We have little doubt that the association will serve the Newlands faithful, the players and the game of cricket, and also serve as a motivation to many aspiring young cricketers from all over the Western Cape to make cricket their game of choice. Yes, even cricket at grassroots level will be ignited by this announcement and the subsequent performances by KKR,” Williams said.

The announcement comes as Cricket South Africa recently earmarked more than R350 million to be invested on stadium refurbishment and upgrades over the next three years
 
Northerns Cricket Union welcomes T20 Global League Franchise to the “best city in the country”

Pretoria will stage the new Global T20 League after being named one of eight host cities during the team-owner announcement earlier today, at Lord’s

Mr Osman Osman of SA consortium has been unveiled as the team owner of the Pretoria-based franchise, with Multiply Titans and Standard Bank Protea AB de Villiers named the South African marquee player. SuperSport Park CEO Jacques Faul is looking forward to welcoming Osman to, as de Villiers describes it, “the best city in the country”

“It's an exciting time for us as a host venue here at SuperSport Park. To be part of an event of this magnitude under the franchise ownership of Mr Osman is an ideal partnership,” said Faul.

“The prospect of a full-capacity stadium, watching a mix of international and domestic T20 stars during the six-week long tournament in the height of summer is something we and the people of Pretoria are very much looking forward to.”

SuperSport Park, an internationally-renowned cricket stadium, having previously hosted IPL two in 2009 and the last two domestic T20 Finals, will undergo stadium upgrades in accordance with CSA’s masterplan to ensure that the eight hosting stadiums comply with the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act.

CSA has invested R11 million in refurbishments and upgrades to the Centurion-based stadium including a new video scoreboard, lighting, aircon systems and private suite seating, amongst other developments.

“We must have a platform that provides fans, match officials and anyone that comes through the gates with an envinroment that is condusive with the occasion of a global tournament,” said Jabulani Kubeka, SuperSport Park Stadium Manager.

“If you think global and what it means and how we attract people to the ground – the stadium plays a big role. It speaks to the fan experience and the product that we are selling and these developments will be key to enhancing the quality of a fan’s match experience.”
 
KZN Cricket welcome new franchise to Durban for T20 Global League

Durban – Cricket fans in Durban can look forward to plenty of short and long term benefits after the city was confirmed as the base for the franchise bought by Pakistani businessman Fawad Rana for the inaugural T20 Global League that was officially unveiled in London on Monday afternoon.

Rana is no stranger to cricket as he too is the owner of the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League.

In what is a home-coming of sorts, Hashim Amla was announced as the Proteas marquee player for the Durban-based franchise.

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins will vacate their Saraha Stadium Kingsmead home during the month of November as the, yet to be named team, take up residency at Durban's famous cricketing venue that will host several matches in the eagerly anticipated eight team tournament, and the stadium will also see a rolling programmes of upgrades in the next three years.

The T20 Global League has been championed by Cricket South Africa, joining the growing trend of staging international T20 tournaments.

KZN Cricket's interim CEO Muhammad Seedat urges the Durban-based public to get behind the Kingsmead-based franchise.

"We have a passionate cricket support base in KwaZulu-Natal, and a great record of supporting major T20 tournament fixtures at the Sahara Stadium Kingsmead," Seedat said.

“I am confident that the KZN cricket loving supporters will adopt the new franchise, ensuring that the matches that are played in Durban are vibrant and memorable," he added.

As Durban prepares to be one of the eight host venues for the T20 Global League, it has recently been announced that Cricket South Africa has earmarked R350 million for stadium upgrades and refurbishments country wide over the next three years.

Of this allocation, R200 million will be used in the few months to upgrade scoreboards, install state-of-the-art artificial lighting systems and revamp change rooms and media centres.

These major developments are in line with Kingsmead's vow to offer spectators a world-class stadium experience.
 
ST GEORGE’S PARK SET TO HOST T20 GLOBAL LEAGUE TEAM

Cricket SA today announced the owners for the 8 teams who will participate in the T20 Global League due to take place in South Africa in November and December.

Nelson Mandela Bay and St George’s Park will play host to franchise owner Mr. Ajay Sethi of Channel 2 who will base his team at the iconic stadium. According to CSA, a large number of players have registered to participate and team owners will have the opportunity of selecting their team from over 400 players who will be part of the draft which will take place on 19 August.

Local cricket fans can look forward to a jam packed summer season with 7 T20 Global League matches due to be played over a period of 6 weeks.

St George’s Park is currently undergoing a major revamp in preparation for this competition and EP Cricket President Donovan May is hoping the Nelson Mandela Bay fans will come out and support this new venture “This is an amazing new concept for cricket in our City and we want to fill the stadium over and over again. The new team will be based here for the next 10 years and we need to show the new owners that we can deliver an exciting stadium experience. Fans can expect great cricket with top class international and national players in action. ”
 
STELLENBOSCH was today announced as a host city and Boland Park, Paarl, as a host venue for CSA’s T20 Global League.

Angelo Carolissen, President of Cricket Boland, welcomed Brimstone at a function at the stadium where he (together with directors, staff and other stakeholders) watched the announcement, made in London earlier today. “We welcome Brimstone as the franchise owner at Stellenbosch and Boland Park and thank them for choosing the city and the venue. In us they will find a serious partner who is ready to welcome them to a region with a rich cricketing history and tradition.”

Boland Park, in anticipation of this announcement, is undergoing substantial upgrades to be ready when the T20 Global League comes to Paarl in November. Cricket Boland together with the Drakenstein Municipality and CSA will be investing R23-Million rand in phase one of the upgrade. These upgrades will focus on the provision of state of the art flood lights, upgrades to our changerooms and media centre, investment in water infrastructure, the provision of additional outdoor nets as well as creating a safe and secure event venue.

Mr. Carolissen thanked the Chief Executive, James Fortuin, and his team for their work in this regard. He also thanked the Drakenstein Municipality and CSA for their substantial financial contributions.

Fortuin added that plans are already underway to secure funding for phase 2 of the upgrades which will position Boland Park as one of the most sustainable venues in the country. “Phase 2 of our upgrade will enhance our entertainment offering as well as taking us off the grid in terms of electricity consumption and water re-use. Apart from safety aspects we value our environmental impact and fan experiences as issues that will be critical to our offering to our franchise owner”

Councillor Aden Stohman, Speaker at Drakenstein Municipality, said: “The T20 Global League is an opportunity for Drakenstein and Cricket Boland to showcase the region to the world. The local economic spin-offs are massive and it was, therefore, an easy decision to support the event.”

Carolissen concluded by saying that this announcement is another step in their quest to become the crown jewel of CSA.
 
The Gauteng Cricket Board welcomes GMR Sports to “The Bullring”

The Gauteng Cricket Board, custodian of the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, has noted with excitement the announcement around the T20 Global League South Africa’s allocation of teams to various stadia and are thrilled welcome GMR Sports as they join the charge at the Bullring.

The Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, the largest cricket stadium in South Africa, was voted by fans in 2016 as the best place to watch live cricket. With the introduction of the T20 Global League South Africa and the partnership with GMR Sports, the Bullring promises to be at the forefront of cricket entertainment when the 2017 summer rolls into town.

At the helm of the Stadium Operations, Greg Fredericks is relishing the opportunity to ‘owning’ the November / December space on all of Joburg’s social calendar.

“We are thrilled to welcome GMR Sports to the Bullring for what promises to be the biggest cricket party in town. Research has shown that fans are looking for star-studded cricket, good food, incredible entertainment and a comfortable experience – together with GMR Sports, we are looking forward to ensuring that fans will never want to watch cricket anywhere else again,” commented Fredericks.

The Bidvest Wanderers is also embarking on major stadium upgrades which will see the already favoured experience at the Bullring take on an even better dimension. Amongst other projects already underway, the Stadium will boast a new media centre, fully LED scoreboard, improved camera monitoring system as well as many other amenities aimed at improving the experience for both corporate and public customers.

“Cricket will be the centre of all that is happening on the Johannesburg entertainment scene, add to that the local and international cricket stars as well as fantastic in Stadium experience and you have a one-stop solution for Johannesburg cricket fans and socialites,” added Fredericks.

Jack Madiseng, President of the Board of Directors, has also reaffirmed the GCB’s commitment to ensuring that the GMR Sports management team, players and staff enjoy the full pleasure of being part of the Bullring family. “I am proud to present to the GMR Sports owners an incredible venue, terrifically competent management team and the Board’s commitment to functioning as a dedicated partner in presenting this exciting tournament. I am sure that this 10 year partnership will not only bring to the fore incredible cricket entertainment, reaffirming cricket and the Bidvest Wanderers as the sport entertainment option of choice, but will also see great investment into the GCB’s development and amateur pipeline.”

“This event has the potential to revitalise the cricket dreams of so many youngsters, reaffirming the belief that their goals and aspirations have a very real chance of becoming reality. This is certainly very exciting to me, personally, as well as the Board of Directors.”
 
FREE STATE CRICKET today welcomed the news that Mr. Sushil Kumar’s City Sports has become the T20 Global League franchise to be based at their Mangaung Headquarters.

“This is wonderful news for our fans who will have the opportunity to watch world-class players in action on a regular basis and I can assure them that they will be very warmly welcomed by the people of Bloemfontein and indeed by the whole Free State,” commented Free State Chief Executive, Johan van Heerden. “It also, of course offers huge opportunities for business and the general economy in our area.

“Our ground has been the setting for many memorable Test matches, probably most notably when the Proteas beat India by nine wickets with Herschelle Gibbs, Lance Klusener, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag (on debut) all scoring centuries and Shaun Pollock claiming a 10-wicket haul.

“It is also the ground where one of our favourite sons, Allan Donald, became the first Protea to take 300 Test wickets and where Makhaya Ntini claimed his maiden five-wicket haul.”

“We are most grateful to Cricket South Africa for the project they have launched to upgrade all the international grounds. We will be spending approximately R7.2-million on the following upgrades,” concluded Mr. Van Heerden:
 
Sorry for posting it again but can anyone tell that will Pakistani player get a chance to play this league.
 
So this SA league - basically owned by Indians and Pakistanis?

Shah Rukh Khan, GMR Group, Ajay Sethi and Sushil Kumar - Indian
Fawad Rana, Javed Afridi - Pakistani

Osman Osman and Mustaq Brey probably South Africans that identify themselves of Pakistani (or possibly Indian) descent
 
South Africa hosted a very successful IPL in 2009.

Lets hope the Global T20 league is just as successful

I will be attending some of the games in Cape town

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Good luck to South Africa for this venture.Hope it's successful.Good to see Rana and Afridi among the owners
 
All the best to South Africa , hope to see Pakistani players in this tournament as well. Fawad Rana and Javed Afridi are among the owners , thats great. From what i heard , the names of their teams will be Durban Qalandars and Benoni Zalmi.
 
So this SA league - basically owned by Indians and Pakistanis?

Shah Rukh Khan, GMR Group, Ajay Sethi and Sushil Kumar - Indian
Fawad Rana, Javed Afridi - Pakistani

Osman Osman and Mustaq Brey probably South Africans that identify themselves of Pakistani (or possibly Indian) descent

I don't know Osman Osman but Mustaq Brey is of Gujartat anscentary
 
Eastern Cricket Union welcomes T20 Global League Franchise to the vibrant City Benoni (Ekhuruleni Metro)

Benoni will stage the new Global T20 League after it was announced as one of the eight host cities during the team-owner announcement earlier today, in London

Mr Javed Afridi of My Sports World / Peshawar Zalmi will be the owner of the Benoni Based Franchise with Quinton De Kock named as the Protea marquee player for the franchise.

Eastern Cricket CEO Cassim Suliman is looking forward to welcoming the franchise and its owner Mr Javed Afridi to the City of Lakes.

“ Willowmoore Park has a great history for hosting the first ever day/night game in the world, and we at Easterns welcome the partnership with Mr Afridi and the Franchise Team.

“ It will be a thrilling time for us to be the host venue and we aim to ensure full capacity at all the matches, the venue will also host International events as well with the likes of Australia (A) Bangladesh and India (A).”

Willowmoore Park, currently undergoing stadium upgrades through the assistance of Cricket South Africa, will provide first-class amenities for our spectators.

We will now be in the position to provide our spectator viewership as well as the match officials with a world-class facility for this global event.

The quality of the event will augur well for the city of Benoni and all its citizens.

We look forward in conjunction with Cricket South Africa to make this global event a resounding success.
 
Eastern Cricket Union welcomes T20 Global League Franchise to the vibrant City Benoni (Ekhuruleni Metro)

Lol .. there is nothing vibrant in Benoni. The cricket stadium Willowmoore Park in Benoni is so small

WillowmoorePark-2005-Field-G600.jpg
 
Please Provide Clarfication:"Two PSL owners buy franchises in CSA’s T20 Global League"

Did they buy completely brand new teams in South Africa (meaning no link with local domestic players of Qalandars and Zalmi - like Fakhar Zaman and Hassan Ali)?

Please share some clarification if you have any details handy.

Thanks!
 
Did they buy completely brand new teams in South Africa (meaning no link with local domestic players of Qalandars and Zalmi - like Fakhar Zaman and Hassan Ali)?

Please share some clarification if you have any details handy.

Thanks!

Peshawar Zalmi has named their new Benoni Zalmi so there has to be some link while Lahore Qalandars COO did say before the unveiling that Fakhar Zaman and co will now get more opportunities to express themselves. So could be, if Pakistan has no cricket, Fakhar playing in that league.
 
This is wonderful,more Pakistan players can interact with guys like Amla and de Kock and they probably might join PSL dependant on their intl schedule
 
Isnt it a SA league? Yes PSL owners have bought the teams but wont it be like only 4 or 5 overseas players are allowed and rest are meant to be South Africans?
 
Sports franchise is obviously more profitable then it seems, SRK owns teams in IPL, CPL and now CSA.

I'm sure he wouldn't be doing this if there weren't great returns.
 
Sports franchise is obviously more profitable then it seems, SRK owns teams in IPL, CPL and now CSA.

I'm sure he wouldn't be doing this if there weren't great returns.

he's a filthy rich guy... he could be doing it just for fun
 
desis own 90% of the franchises

an indian from hong kong, dubai, two paks and one desi south african native and i guess only one south african
 
That means they must have made decent money in the PSL hence they are branching out to different countries now. I am a bit surprised though that they chose to keep the same names as their PSL franchises because those name have zero connection with South Africa
 
Did they buy completely brand new teams in South Africa (meaning no link with local domestic players of Qalandars and Zalmi - like Fakhar Zaman and Hassan Ali)?

Please share some clarification if you have any details handy.

Thanks!

Players draft would be held on august 19....
They can hav pakistani players in the team but a team can hav 6-7 foriegn players and u could except 2 pakistani players.... i dont think more than that....
 
Isnt it a SA league? Yes PSL owners have bought the teams but wont it be like only 4 or 5 overseas players are allowed and rest are meant to be South Africans?

yeah..... even if Pakistani owners want more pak players they cant get them.... 6 overseas players at max 2 pak players
 
Two Pakistani franchises and two Indian ones in the South African league.

This could be fun and add some extra spice.
 
Good move. Time to expand our interest in Cricketing leagues all over the world. Surprised IU owner didn't jump in...I think he has a team in the Hong Kong league too. Might have been too pricey for him..but anyways, good move by these two franchises and Pakistani businessmen. Should look to expand their empires further.
 
T20 Global League Team Owner, Ajay Sethi, shows support for PE Team

PORT ELIZABETH –T20 Global League team owner, businessman and media mogul Ajay Sethi, today expressed his delight and satisfaction at being the owner of the Port Elizabeth franchise.

Sethi briefly outlined his plans to local media and stakeholders at a welcoming event in Port Elizabeth.

“Port Elizabeth is a beautiful city and is deeply entrenched with interesting cricketing history, commented Sethi.

“I am very pleased and proud to represent this city as my franchise team. In the coming weeks, we look forward to working very closely with the Mayor and City Council to put together a robust plan of action to create value for both the city and the team.

“In addition, I would like to extend my thanks to CSA (Cricket South Africa) in accepting our bid and giving us an opportunity to become a part of this exciting T20 Global League journey. This tournament is about the fans, the players, rekindling the magic and reviving the battles, between bat and ball, between heart and mind, showing the world what makes this game extraordinary.”

Marquee player Imran Tahir has great expectations. “I’m really looking forward to the new team; I hope we as Protea players and the international marquee players make this league the best league in the world and show what South Africa is all about,” Tahir said.

Andrew Whitfield, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Development and Tourism for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality also attended the event. He too is excited by the possibilities presented to the city by the T20 Global League.

This franchise has further incentivised us to invest and support our cricket infrastructure for the city,” he said. The T20 Global League will show the youth in PE that there is opportunity in sport. Working together with Ajay Sethi and CSA, we can leverage opportunities in cricket,” Whitfield concluded.

The player draft is scheduled for 19 August, with almost 400 players from 10 countries confirming their interest.
 
It's great to see cricket being taken to the Boland. The people from the Boland are cricket crazy

Boland-Park-view-mountains-120111-G530.jpg


I have worked for a company in the Boland in Stellenbosh. The Bloand is about 40 minutes drive from Cape Town City Centre

Kriegler_farms4.jpg


The scenery in the Boland is absolutely stunning.

b48373157c2c424f248966d03e9693e3.jpg


The streets of Stellenbosh have massive oaks on both sides of the road. Stellenbosh is also known as Eikestad (oak town)

Stellenbosh is also famous for it's wineyards

best-things-to-do-in-cape-town-stellenbosch.jpg
 
It's great to see cricket being taken to the Boland. The people from the Boland are cricket crazy

Boland-Park-view-mountains-120111-G530.jpg


I have worked for a company in the Boland in Stellenbosh. The Bloand is about 40 minutes drive from Cape Town City Centre

Kriegler_farms4.jpg


The scenery in the Boland is absolutely stunning.

b48373157c2c424f248966d03e9693e3.jpg


The streets of Stellenbosh have massive oaks on both sides of the road. Stellenbosh is also known as Eikestad (oak town)

Stellenbosh is also famous for it's wineyards

best-things-to-do-in-cape-town-stellenbosch.jpg

Really great pics bro.
 
Yeah like Umar Akmal, Muhammad Rizwan, Sohail Tanvir and right handed Sohail Tanvir.


:salute
As far as I know Umar, Rizwan and Tanvir aren't products of LQ.

Irfan Jr and Tanvir share no similarities apart from having unconventional actions...
 
Will Pakistan player play or get a chance in this league?

I don't see why not

There is no beef between SA and PCB. And considering 2 of the owners are PSL owners, I very much expect Pakistani players to get a chance

Only obstacle I see is if there is a scheduling conflict in schedule. Even then, players not on tour should be able to play
 
I heard Sarfraz will play for Durban Qalandars but wasn't an official source so not sure if it was accurate
 
Two Pakistani franchises and two Indian ones in the South African league.

This could be fun and add some extra spice.

I was thinking exactly the same. Lol.

This is the only league which has both Pakistani and Indian owners involved
 
It's great to see cricket being taken to the Boland. The people from the Boland are cricket crazy

Boland-Park-view-mountains-120111-G530.jpg


I have worked for a company in the Boland in Stellenbosh. The Bloand is about 40 minutes drive from Cape Town City Centre

Kriegler_farms4.jpg


The scenery in the Boland is absolutely stunning.

b48373157c2c424f248966d03e9693e3.jpg


The streets of Stellenbosh have massive oaks on both sides of the road. Stellenbosh is also known as Eikestad (oak town)

Stellenbosh is also famous for it's wineyards

best-things-to-do-in-cape-town-stellenbosch.jpg

Omar Henry who was the first player of colour and first muslim to play for the Proteas. Omar is from Stellenbosch. Omar only played 3 Tests and 3 ODI's as he was pressurised by the muslim community not to advertise for the Proteas sponsor 'Castle Lager' beer

South-African-cricketer-Omar-Henry-during-the-Historic-1st-Test-between-India-and-South-Africa.jpg
 
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Durban qalandars and Benoni Zalmi sounds so weird. Great for PSL but it's ridiculous considering that the league is in SA. Imagine the reaction of the fans lol.
 
Durban qalandars and Benoni Zalmi sounds so weird. Great for PSL but it's ridiculous considering that the league is in SA. Imagine the reaction of the fans lol.

Durban qalandars does not sound so bad as Durban has a huge desi population.

Benoni Zalmi sounds weird because Benoni is known for it's ultra white rightwingers. Benoni/Boksburg is like Iowa

terre-blanche_horse_1993.jpg
 
DURBAN –T20 Global League team owner, Qatar-based businessman and cricket devotee – Fawad Rana (Managing Director of Qatar Lubricants (QALCO), Owner & Chairman Qalandars) – has acquired the Durban franchise of South Africa’s newest cricket league, with former Proteas Captain and star batsman Hashim Amla fronting the KZN capital.

Speaking from a press conference in Durban today, Rana confirmed the T20 Global League team name as the Durban Qalanders. Rana is also the Owner and Chairman of the Lahore Qalanders, the second most expensive franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and is widely credited with driving the success of the PSL.

“There’s a definite synergy between the two leagues and South Africa is a very attractive cricketing market for us. The model is exciting, there’s great opportunity, and we’re able to take our brand to a global level,” he said.

Rana thanked Cricket South Africa (CSA) for the opportunity to be part of the new Africa-based T20 league. “I belong to Lahore which is a passionate, food-loving and welcoming city. I also reside in Doha, another warm port-city. Durban has the best of both, which is why we chose it. I know that we have one of the greatest in the game, Hashim Amla, and I am absolutely delighted to be representing the province of KwaZulu-Natal.”

Amla shares Rana’s sentiments. “I’m very excited that we’ve finally got our own T20 league to be proud of, and hopefully we get players from all around the world to come and join us. For us to have our own league provides great opportunity to the local players and it’s just the spectacle of cricket we want.”

Backed by his brothers Atif and Sameen, Rana is well-known for his enthusiasm for the game, as he struggles to hide his emotions from the side lines. Testament to that is his vision for the future of cricket, and his investment in young player development. Recently he implemented a large scale talent hunt in association with the Australian Big Bash league, and catapulted four talented rookie players straight into the PSL.

“Our objective is to go global, and in the process to help people, giving opportunity and hope to underprivileged people who otherwise can’t be part of a global cricket league. Player development is a big focus for us,” he said.

eThekwini Deputy Mayor, Fawzia Peer, agrees with Rana. “The T20 Global League will provide a perfect platform for the city and the province to showcase its talent and for our cricketers to participate and excel in an event that will be broadcast to an international audience. Durban will become a household name showcasing the best of the beaches and the finest on the field, this is a real opportunity to market our city, and we are very proud of it,” says Peer.

“I want to congratulate Fawad Rana on the acquisition of the Durban franchise, and welcome him to the T20 Global League. We wish you and the Durban Qalanders the best of luck for the coming season,” said CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat.

There’s no doubt that the Rana brothers will bring a strong sense of pride to their newly acquired South African Team. “Our philosophy is ‘Self-less. Fearless’. We definitely want to win, we want to be loved, and spread happiness through the game of cricket,” he said.

The player draft is scheduled for 26-27 August, with almost 400 players from 10 countries confirming their interest.
 
Ok now this is stupid who in South Africa knows and cares what a qalandar is?
 
DURBAN –T20 Global League team owner, Qatar-based businessman and cricket devotee – Fawad Rana (Managing Director of Qatar Lubricants (QALCO), Owner & Chairman Qalandars) – has acquired the Durban franchise of South Africa’s newest cricket league, with former Proteas Captain and star batsman Hashim Amla fronting the KZN capital.

Speaking from a press conference in Durban today, Rana confirmed the T20 Global League team name as the Durban Qalanders. Rana is also the Owner and Chairman of the Lahore Qalanders, the second most expensive franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and is widely credited with driving the success of the PSL.

“There’s a definite synergy between the two leagues and South Africa is a very attractive cricketing market for us. The model is exciting, there’s great opportunity, and we’re able to take our brand to a global level,” he said.

Rana thanked Cricket South Africa (CSA) for the opportunity to be part of the new Africa-based T20 league. “I belong to Lahore which is a passionate, food-loving and welcoming city. I also reside in Doha, another warm port-city. Durban has the best of both, which is why we chose it. I know that we have one of the greatest in the game, Hashim Amla, and I am absolutely delighted to be representing the province of KwaZulu-Natal.”

Amla shares Rana’s sentiments. “I’m very excited that we’ve finally got our own T20 league to be proud of, and hopefully we get players from all around the world to come and join us. For us to have our own league provides great opportunity to the local players and it’s just the spectacle of cricket we want.”

Backed by his brothers Atif and Sameen, Rana is well-known for his enthusiasm for the game, as he struggles to hide his emotions from the side lines. Testament to that is his vision for the future of cricket, and his investment in young player development. Recently he implemented a large scale talent hunt in association with the Australian Big Bash league, and catapulted four talented rookie players straight into the PSL.

“Our objective is to go global, and in the process to help people, giving opportunity and hope to underprivileged people who otherwise can’t be part of a global cricket league. Player development is a big focus for us,” he said.

eThekwini Deputy Mayor, Fawzia Peer, agrees with Rana. “The T20 Global League will provide a perfect platform for the city and the province to showcase its talent and for our cricketers to participate and excel in an event that will be broadcast to an international audience. Durban will become a household name showcasing the best of the beaches and the finest on the field, this is a real opportunity to market our city, and we are very proud of it,” says Peer.

“I want to congratulate Fawad Rana on the acquisition of the Durban franchise, and welcome him to the T20 Global League. We wish you and the Durban Qalanders the best of luck for the coming season,” said CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat.

There’s no doubt that the Rana brothers will bring a strong sense of pride to their newly acquired South African Team. “Our philosophy is ‘Self-less. Fearless’. We definitely want to win, we want to be loved, and spread happiness through the game of cricket,” he said.

The player draft is scheduled for 26-27 August, with almost 400 players from 10 countries confirming their interest.

Is the team owned by QALCO a Qatari state owned company or is it owned by Rana an employee of Qalco?
 
He's creating a brand...

What do South Africans have to do with Qalandars. I understand he's promoting his brand, but the Durban fans have no understanding of Qalandars.

I would be pretty angry if a South African guy who owned a PSL team named his team "Karachi (anything specific to SA that Pakistanis have no clue about)"
 
What do South Africans have to do with Qalandars. I understand he's promoting his brand, but the Durban fans have no understanding of Qalandars.

I would be pretty angry if a South African guy who owned a PSL team named his team "Karachi (anything specific to SA that Pakistanis have no clue about)"

I had the same point. I don't think South Africans will take it lightly.

Qalandar sounds good for a Pakistani team but not for a SA league
 
All Team owners are Indians and Pakistanis. South Africa is Africa's biggest economy. Most, if not all the owners should have been South Africans.
 
Is the team owned by QALCO a Qatari state owned company or is it owned by Rana an employee of Qalco?

I believe its owned by Fawad Rana as his brothers are also in many of the high positions for the teams, he just happens to work for Qalco
 
What do South Africans have to do with Qalandars. I understand he's promoting his brand, but the Durban fans have no understanding of Qalandars.

I would be pretty angry if a South African guy who owned a PSL team named his team "Karachi (anything specific to SA that Pakistanis have no clue about)"

What does Karachi have to do with Kings? Or what does Chittagong have to do with Vikings? Or what does Trinidad and Tobago have to do with Knight Riders? Many of the Quetta fans don't know about Gladiators and their history and even the meaning of Gladiators. But that doesn't stop them from supporting their team. Many of the Chittagong fans don't know about Vikings but that is not the reason for them to stop supporting their team.

In business, it doesn't matter if everyone have the understanding of name or not, it's about giving their brand a global name or recognition, which Fawad Rana or Javed Afridi or Shahrukh Khan are perfectly doing. This will definitely give a global recognition to their brand names. We, the keyboard warriors, are no one to criticize these things in their business.
 
What do South Africans have to do with Qalandars. I understand he's promoting his brand, but the Durban fans have no understanding of Qalandars.

I would be pretty angry if a South African guy who owned a PSL team named his team "Karachi (anything specific to SA that Pakistanis have no clue about)"

His money; he can name his team what he wills.
 
What does Karachi have to do with Kings? Or what does Chittagong have to do with Vikings? Or what does Trinidad and Tobago have to do with Knight Riders? Many of the Quetta fans don't know about Gladiators and their history and even the meaning of Gladiators. But that doesn't stop them from supporting their team. Many of the Chittagong fans don't know about Vikings but that is not the reason for them to stop supporting their team.

In business, it doesn't matter if everyone have the understanding of name or not, it's about giving their brand a global name or recognition, which Fawad Rana or Javed Afridi or Shahrukh Khan are perfectly doing. This will definitely give a global recognition to their brand names. We, the keyboard warriors, are no one to criticize these things in their business.

But those names you metioned are in English which is an international that many people in Bangladesh and Pakistan know. Plus vikings, gladiators and kings are things everyone knows about so it's not really an alien concept to people in those countries.

Say if a South African investor bought a psl team and gave it a name in the South African language wouldn't that be odd? Not even people English speaking Pakistanis would understand it
 
But those names you metioned are in English which is an international that many people in Bangladesh and Pakistan know. Plus vikings, gladiators and kings are things everyone knows about so it's not really an alien concept to people in those countries.

Say if a South African investor bought a psl team and gave it a name in the South African language wouldn't that be odd? Not even people English speaking Pakistanis would understand it

I think, in these leagues, people support their region, not the name associated to their region. For example, if I support Peshawar, I do not care about what Zalmi means. Lots of Peshawar fans other than Pathans do not know about Zalmi or its meaning but they still support their team. So name does not reflect how a team will be supported.
It doesn't matter if a name is in English or Urdu or whatever language. My relatives live in Western country. But that doesn't make it necessary for them to give an English name to their child. They gave him an Urdu name and people still interact with him very well even after not knowing the meaning of his name.
Not everyone knows about Vikings and Gladiators in those countries. If a South African investor bought a PSL team and named it whatever, it wouldn't be odd because people eventually support their regions and favorite teams or players, not the name of a team.
 
I think, in these leagues, people support their region, not the name associated to their region. For example, if I support Peshawar, I do not care about what Zalmi means. Lots of Peshawar fans other than Pathans do not know about Zalmi or its meaning but they still support their team. So name does not reflect how a team will be supported.
It doesn't matter if a name is in English or Urdu or whatever language. My relatives live in Western country. But that doesn't make it necessary for them to give an English name to their child. They gave him an Urdu name and people still interact with him very well even after not knowing the meaning of his name.
Not everyone knows about Vikings and Gladiators in those countries. If a South African investor bought a PSL team and named it whatever, it wouldn't be odd because people eventually support their regions and favorite teams or players, not the name of a team.

Yeah I guess I agree. Becuase this business venture is related to cricket, cities and star cricket players means that this league and the teams in this league will succeed regardless of what the team name is whether it's Durban qalandars or Durban tigers.

But it's still kind of odd for a South African team to be named qalandar and zalmi.
 
What does Karachi have to do with Kings? Or what does Chittagong have to do with Vikings? Or what does Trinidad and Tobago have to do with Knight Riders? Many of the Quetta fans don't know about Gladiators and their history and even the meaning of Gladiators. But that doesn't stop them from supporting their team. Many of the Chittagong fans don't know about Vikings but that is not the reason for them to stop supporting their team.

In business, it doesn't matter if everyone have the understanding of name or not, it's about giving their brand a global name or recognition, which Fawad Rana or Javed Afridi or Shahrukh Khan are perfectly doing. This will definitely give a global recognition to their brand names. We, the keyboard warriors, are no one to criticize these things in their business.

Karachi has nothing to do with Kings, but Kings isn't something that is exclusive to a particular race or country. Kings is a pretty common word.

Knight Riders, again, isn't specific to Kolkata or any other place in the world. So your point about create a brand makes total sense there.

But Qalandars and Zalmi are very specific to Pakistan.

I understand the second part of the post. But my point is that I wouldn't appreciate if someone from South Africa came and named my team "Karachi (something that is not general but very specific to SA)"
 
Like Sarfarazian said "Qalandar" is a Pakistani name and goes with Pakistani teams.

Vikings Kings etc are all English names but we know English Is widely accepted. Worldwide.

Names aren't important but still it would sound weird wouldnt it. Maybe next time a SA team would be named Cape Town Indians. How would that sound :shakib
 
JOHANNESBURG – Cricket South Africa (CSA) has confirmed that T20 Global League squad numbers have been increased.

Five (5) international players (includes Kolpak players) will now be allowed in each T20 Global League team squad, increased from the previously stipulated maximum of four (4) international players in each squad. Consequently, the squad size will be increased from 17 to 18 to ensure domestic players aren’t prejudiced as a result of the increase.

Ahead of the player draft set to take place on 26 and 27 August in Cape Town, the increase in players will help in managing the workload of the international players and any possible injuries over the six-week tournament period.

The current on-field regulations require a minimum of three international players must be selected and a maximum of four be on the field of play at any one time. The increase to five international players per squad would not change the maximum of four international players allowed to play at any one time.

The South African Cricketer’s Association (SACA) and all Franchise Owners have expressed support at the increase in the squad of players.

The player draft is scheduled for 26 and 27 August, with almost 400 players from 10 countries confirming their interest.
 
JOHANNESBURG – Cricket South Africa (CSA) has confirmed that T20 Global League squad numbers have been increased.

Five (5) international players (includes Kolpak players) will now be allowed in each T20 Global League team squad, increased from the previously stipulated maximum of four (4) international players in each squad. Consequently, the squad size will be increased from 17 to 18 to ensure domestic players aren’t prejudiced as a result of the increase.

Ahead of the player draft set to take place on 26 and 27 August in Cape Town, the increase in players will help in managing the workload of the international players and any possible injuries over the six-week tournament period.

The current on-field regulations require a minimum of three international players must be selected and a maximum of four be on the field of play at any one time. The increase to five international players per squad would not change the maximum of four international players allowed to play at any one time.

The South African Cricketer’s Association (SACA) and all Franchise Owners have expressed support at the increase in the squad of players.

The player draft is scheduled for 26 and 27 August, with almost 400 players from 10 countries confirming their interest.

So the draft is in 10 days but they haven't really published the interested public yet
 
Peshawar Zalmi Owner Javed Afridi to launch 2nd International T20 Franchise Benoni Zalmi

Zalmi Goes Global!

Peshawar, Pakistan: The House of Zalmi, which has already made a mark with Peshawar Zalmi’s lifting the Pakistan Super League Trophy and won the heart of a million cricket fans is making waves on an international scale.

Its second cricket franchise, Benoni Zalmi, will be launched, to take part in the upcoming Global T20 League, held under the auspices of Cricket South Africa.

Cricket fans have already been treated to a teaser for the Benoni Zalmi Logo on all digital platforms and it will be revealed in person by Mr Javed Afridi on 18th August in South Africa.

He will also unveil a big name in world cricket as the Head Coach of his team on 21st August.

On 27th August all 8 teams of the Global T20 League will pick their squads in a much-awaited draft in Cape Town.

Chairman Peshawar Zalmi and Benoni Zalmi, Mr Javed Afridi, states “Like Peshawar Zalmi, Benoni Zalmi will not only try to attract millions of cricket fans from across the world but will also try to contribute to various CSR activities in Benoni and win the hearts of the South African people.”

pz.jpg
 
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