Moeen Ali’s issue shows how ILT20 and SA20 are in an arms race for cricket’s best players.
Moeen Ali’s issue shows how ILT20 and SA20 are in an arms race for cricket’s best players. Moeen Ali has confirmed that he will play for Sharjah Warriors in the International League T20 this winter. This comes after a battle for his signature, which could still lead to him playing in South Africa’s new league, whose dates are set to overlap with those of the UAE-based franchise league.
The league commissioner for South Africa’s newly named SA20, Graeme Smith, said on Wednesday that the England all-rounder was problematized because he had been named to the squads of both the Johannesburg Super Kings and the ILT20’s Sharjah Warriors. Later that day, Moeen confirmed on Twitter that he would be choosing the Warriors as his main destination.
“We have aligned on a strategy in terms of allowing the player to feel comfortable in terms of what he does and where he decides to play,” Smith said when asked about Moeen. “I am dealing with the UAE league in that.”
“I was in the UAE last week and met with them and that will play itself out over the next few days. We have agreed a way of handling it. There needs to be a way that both of us can co-exist.”
“There is a relationship that’s opened up there in terms of finding a way forward. I am looking forward to further engagements with the UAE league on that.”
Special case
Moeen’s situation was unique because of his agreements with both leagues. Moeen had promised to play in both tournaments, with the deal that he would choose the one he liked best. However, it turned out that he had signed directly with the Warriors. Since he only signed with Cricket South Africa and not a direct team, the ILT20 thought they had more right to him than the SA20. The situation was made even more complicated by the fact that the Johannesburg team is related to the Chennai Super Kings, for whom Moeen plays in the Indian Premier League. The Warriors are owned by Capri Global, which also has a stake in the IPL team Gujarat Titans.
Restrictions and more
It was found that Smith talked to Rob Key, the managing director of the England men’s team, to ask if England players would be available during the SA20. This season, there are no limits on whether or not an England player can try out for that or the ILT20. This is because the Test series with Pakistan ends on December 21. Still, there will be a white-ball tour of South Africa at the end of January, right before the SA20 knockouts.
There will be the usual restrictions on how much work people can do, though they will make more sense for fast bowlers than for batters. There is also talk of an England tour to Sri Lanka at the beginning of the year. Still, it is thought that taking players away from their franchise obligations will be decided case by case. Players like Ben Duckett and Will Jacks could feel the pressure and find themselves at a crossroads in the short term with their Test and white-ball goals.
Players in the mess
So, the players are the ones in the middle of the mess, and it’s especially hard for those without central contracts, like England players who aren’t sure if they’ll get to tour this winter. Many people have to spread their chances, which is why some of the names for the two new tournaments are the same. Even though no one is in the same situation as Moeen, there are a few who have to decide which competition they would rather let down.
Arms race in the competitions
Both of these competitions have been in a sort of arms race to get to this point. The ILT20 giving up on its original plan for a draft may have been the most interesting change. With 12 spots for players from other countries in their 18-person squads, CSA and the Big Bash League were quickly seen as more likely to attract fans from other countries. So, it was decided to fill roster spots by contacting players directly. This was a good move for English players, as 25 of the 84 foreign players announced at the time of writing were English.
As a response, CSA has done something like a trance offensive. In private, there have been promises of multi-year contracts, no matter which of the six teams picks them up. Smith has also used his power and status to convince his counterparts on other boards that this T20 competition is the place to be. The former South Africa captain hasn’t always been charming, though. He hasn’t been afraid to scold people he thinks are going back on promises they made earlier.
Administrators and coaches in the BBL had also secretly tried to get foreign players to join their teams. Nonetheless, they continue to be in an undefined position. They are the most established of the three, but they are also the least sure. The fact that Andre Russell pulled out when he wasn’t picked up in the Platinum bracket (AUS$340,000), which was his preferred bracket, proved that they were right to be worried. Teams didn’t pick him or Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, or Jason Roy because they thought they would leave before the finals to play in either the ILT20 or the SA20.
The BBL still has some weight in how players decide what to do. Even though it pays the least of the three tournaments this winter, people are still hesitant to completely ignore it because it has been around the longest and is the most stable. Even though a lot of money has been put into the SA20 and ILT20, people are still worried about how they will turn out in the future. This is made worse by the fact that there are still no set dates for their first seasons. Both look like they will happen from the second week of January to the beginning of February.