Graeme Smith will oversee all aspects of Cricket South Africa’s new T20 franchise tournament.
Smith’s first orders of business will include developing the brand and confirming the participating franchises.
The inaugural tournament, which has SuperSport as one of its major shareholders, is scheduled to take place in January and February.
“I’m extremely honoured to be entrusted with leading this exciting new venture,” said the former Proteas captain and CSA director of cricket in a statement. “I’m deeply committed to South African cricket and happy to serve the game as best I can.
“I’m excited by the opportunity to deliver the new league, which I believe will be an extremely competitive product, one that can bring the much-needed investment into the game and provide new opportunities for players around the world and more importantly to our SA home-grown talent.
“The response from stakeholders has been very positive thus far and we’ve made great progress in the initial stages,” Smith added. “We’re determined to deliver a valuable, sustainable and appealing tournament for South African cricket.”
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CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki welcomed Smith’s new role.
“I worked closely with Graeme during his role as director of cricket and believe he is the perfect candidate to lead this new chapter of South African cricket.
“His expert understanding of the local and international cricketing environment will ensure the league delivers a thrilling product that will change the face of South African cricket for the better.
“This new league promises to make a significant investment into both professional cricket and development in South Africa, along with a positive socio-economic and tourism injection into the country. We are excited by the positive strides we have made so far and remain on track to deliver a league to inspire and entertain cricket fans around SA and the world.”
