Smith Discusses Considering Impact Player for SA20 Season Three, but Feels the Timing Wasn’t Right

Graeme Smith, the League Commissioner of SA20, disclosed that the tournament considered implementing the Impact Player rule for its upcoming third season, starting January 9. However, the decision was made to hold off on this innovation, as the league felt it was not yet ready for such a change and preferred to keep things simple for new fans.

The Impact Player rule, introduced in the IPL 2023, allows teams to substitute a player from a pool of five nominated substitutes at any point during the match. Despite its presence in the IPL, the rule faced criticism in IPL 2024 for disrupting game balance.

Smith explained, “We discuss innovations every year. This time, we debated the Impact Player rule but decided against it. With many new fans watching for the first time, we believe it’s crucial to keep the game as straightforward as possible so that they can learn, appreciate, and enjoy cricket.”

Smith also touched on the future of women’s cricket in South Africa. He noted that while leagues like the IPL, The Hundred, CPL, and BBL have successful women’s tournaments, SA20 is still evaluating the right time to launch a franchise-based T20 league for women.

“We are focusing on grassroots development with investments in under-19 girls’ camps, coaching, and school programs,” Smith said. “South African cricket is currently establishing its first professional domestic women’s league. We will continue to assess each year if the timing is right for a women’s T20 league, as we build the talent pool.”

In a notable development, SA20 has introduced a school-level competition aimed at discovering and nurturing cricket talent among youth across South Africa. Running from September 2024 to March 2025, the competition includes provincial rounds, regional playoffs, and national finals.

Smith highlighted, “This school competition provides a fantastic platform for kids to engage with cricket from a young age. We aim to identify and develop young talent, and we’re excited to involve over 500 schools and more than 1,000 games this season.”

Additionally, the SA20 introduced a rookie player system last year, allowing teams to select a young player who had not previously participated in the league. All-rounder Andile Simelane, a rookie from Sunrisers Eastern Cape, recently earned a call-up to the South African squad.

Smith expressed enthusiasm about the rookie system, stating, “We’re thrilled with the success of last year’s rookie picks. Many have stayed in the main squads this year, and we will introduce another six rookies for the upcoming season. Our goal is to develop future stars who can achieve what the IPL has accomplished with its talent pool.”

Smith concluded by emphasizing the importance of these initiatives for the future of South African cricket.