SA20 helping curb player exodus

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With a growing number of stars swapping national colours for franchise threads, Betway SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith believes the competition will provide a platform for SA players to remain involved in international cricket.

Over the past decade, several of the game’s biggest stars have altered their career paths, opting for lucrative franchise opportunities instead of extending their international careers.

In SA, two of the Proteas’ leading white-ball players of the modern era, Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Kock, have taken that route.

De Kock retired from Test cricket in 2021 and ODI cricket in 2023, though he remained available for T20 internationals before returning to the white-ball fold in 2025, while Klaasen, who retired from Test cricket in 2024, announced his retirement from all formats a year later.

Former Proteas captains Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers also increasingly prioritised franchise opportunities during the latter stages of their careers, going on to enjoy considerable success in leagues around the world.

Several high-profile players such as Nicholas Pooran, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo called premature time on their careers, while players such as Jason Roy, Moeen Ali and Alex Hales have adopted a franchise-first approach by reducing their involvement with national teams.

Smith believes the Betway SA20 has helped prevent a more dramatic player drain in SA cricket by providing local players with additional earning opportunities and exposure.

“Obviously, having a league of this stature, the extra increased revenue for players is dramatic.

“If we hadn’t built the Betway SA20, I think free agency in South African cricket would be dramatic,” Smith said in his column for Betway Insider.

“I think Betway SA20’s done a lot to retain and develop talent.

“It’s also given players a global platform, [with] around 20 South Africans involved in the IPL.

“I think what you’ll see is top players around the world picking three leagues to play in, and then they’ll get involved with international cricket around that”

Smith described Klaasen’s departure as a major loss for South African cricket given his standing as one of the most destructive white-ball players in the game.

Add to that the fact that David Miller is no longer centrally contracted to Cricket SA, Smith believes tournaments such as the SA20 can help talented players strike a balance between franchise opportunities and international commitments.

“I can’t speak for him. It seems like it’s family-related and maybe one or two personal issues around certain leaders in South African cricket; I don’t know.

“With Miller, my guess is that he’s probably spoken to Cricket SA and made himself available for as much cricket as possible in the run-up to the 2027 World Cup.

“But he also probably wants a bit more freedom to do one or two other leagues in the calendar cycle,” Smith said.