The postponement of the Global League  to November 2018, brought ‘a sense of relief’, says Sushil Kumar, owner of the  Bloem City Blazers.

‘Of course, there was disappointment – we were looking forward to it. But there is also a sense of relief,’ he said. ‘We will now have time to have clarity on the broadcast and sponsorship rights for both the League and the teams, which have been unconfirmed.

‘The only concerns were related to the Broadcast footprint and league sponsorship, which in turn affected the Team sponsorship efforts,’ he added. ‘All other preparations were in place, thanks to our wonderful operations team in South Africa. We appreciate Cricket South Africa’s transparency and honesty at a very critical time. It is important that the necessary structures and contracts are in place for the tournament to have a successful run.’

Nelson Mandela Bay Stars team owner Ajay Sethi has blamed internal strife at Cricket SA and the lack of a TV deal as the main reasons for the collapse.

‘If we don’t run the tournament well, you cannot do it halfheartedly, and that’s why we all decided to look at the next window available.

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‘Last month’s turmoil [at CSA] had something to do with it because we were all geared and all ready to go. This product has a great value. “But if somebody undervalues it, it is not good for business.’

CSA parted ways with their CEO, Haroon Lorgat. citing the impossibility of working with him. At least three Indian owners among the eight franchises are known to have been disturbed by the way he went about his business regarding the T20GL.

‘It’s a sad day for all of us at Nelson Mandela Bay Stars,’ said Sethi. ‘We have so much passion in the region. I believe in this product and I will always believe in it. But we want to support CSA because we are part of them, and even if they had some internal things, we will still stand by them.’

Mr Fawad Rana,, owner of the Durban Qalandars, said: ‘We hope the decision to delay the start will give them sufficient time to sort out the outstanding issues.

‘The Durban Qalandars would like to pledge its commitment to the league and would like to reiterate that we will be back in South Africa for the start next year,’ he said.

Photo: Jordan Mansfield/Gallo Images