Chris Gayle Snapped up by Cape Town Knight Riders as Global T20 League Teams Pick Up Marquee Players
Aug 27, 2017 at 12:11 PM
West Indies star Kieron Pollard became the first international marquee player to be picked in the Cricket South Africa’s T20 Global League mini draft with Bloem City Blazers securing the services in the event held in Cape Town on Saturday (August 26).
Though each of eight franchises was allocated an international marquee player. Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was the next in line with Joburg Giants snapping him up.
Chris Gayle, the only man to cross the 10,000-run mark in the shortest format of the game so far, went to Shah Rukh Khan-owned Cape Town Knight Riders while Durban Qalandars signed England star Eoin Morgan. Next in the pecking order were Pretoria Mavericks who went for West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
Nelson Mandela Bay Stars snapped up South Africa-born former England star Kevin Pietersen while Benoni Zalmi went for England opener Jason Roy. Stellenbosch Monarchs, who were left with no choice, secured the services of veteran Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga.
The picking order had been decided through a lottery system ahead of the draft while each team was allocated a South Africa marquee player during the launch ceremony in London in June.
The main event of the draft which will take place on Sunday (August 27) will see each team adding another 16 players to their squads. Cricket South Africa has made it clear that out of the 18 players in the squad, a team can have a maximum of five international players. The inaugural edition of the tournament will begin on November 3, and the final will be played on December 16.
Teams (so far):
Durban Qalandars – Hashim Amla, Eoin Morgan
Benoni Zalmi – Quinton de Kock, Jason Roy
Pretoria Mavericks – AB de Villiers, Dwayne Bravo
Stellenbosch Monarchs – Faf du Plessis, Lasith Malinga
Cape Town Knight Riders – JP Duminy, Chris Gayle
Bloem City Blazers – David Miller, Kieron Pollard
Joburg Giants – Kagiso Rabada, Brendon McCullum
Nelson Mandela Bay Stars – Imran Tahir, Kevin Pietersen