Cricketers worldwide are once again gearing up for a potentially life-changing moment at the Betway SA20 Season 5 player auction on Wednesday, 7 October. There were 789 applications during the registration period, with the final player auction shortlist, released today, featuring 156 cricketers made up of 95 South Africans and 61 overseas hopefuls.
The auction has grown into one of the most anticipated events on the South African sporting calendar, with the overwhelming interest, both locally and abroad, reflecting the global status of the league.
Although smaller than last season's auction, the fifth Betway SA20 player auction still comes with anticipation and expectation, with a maximum of R35.025 million to be spent for the 19 available slots amongst the four teams. Durban's Super Giants and Paarl Royals have already completed their 19-player squads and will not be taking part in the auction.
The first four auctions have produced fairytale stories, from Tristan Stubbs' R9.2m deal at the inaugural auction to Dewald Brevis' record-breaking R16.5m last season.
Beyond the headline deals, several local cricketers have become millionaires overnight, and most have been given the chance to show their talent to a global audience in front of packed stadiums, which has often led to more opportunities on the global circuit.
Joburg Super Kings have the largest purse with R20.6 million and are ready to enter a fresh era at the Bullring, with former Proteas all-rounder Albie Morkel the new head coach.
MI Cape Town are second on the list with R9.35 million and will be looking to fill six slots.
Experienced South Africans headline the local talent pool, including former Joburg Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis, all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and top-order batter Rassie van der Dussen.
Du Plessis’s appetite for the franchise circuit remains strong by virtue of the veteran recently topping the run-scoring charts in Europe.
The two under-23 spots are expected to be hotly contested. After fetching the joint-highest bid in the season 2 auction, fast bowler Matthew Boast features strongly in this category along with former SA U19 captain Jason Rowles.
Three-time champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape have R3.6m for two slots, and last season's runners-up Pretoria Capitals have R1.475m for five. Value picks from a strong overseas pool could matter most to them.
The English contingent is the largest. Test captain Joe Root and former T20 World Cup-winning skipper Jos Buttler are pre-signed by Paarl Royals and Durban's Super Giants respectively, and could be joined by more of their countrymen, including all-rounder Rehan Ahmed, new England Test hero Jordan Cox, Reece Topley and Luke Wood.
Cox knows the league well. The wicketkeeper-batter was part of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape side that won the inaugural title in season 1, and helped Pretoria Capitals reach last season's final.
If a strike bowler is needed, teams may not need to look further than Trent Boult. The former Black Caps swing bowler has proven Betway SA20 pedigree after helping MI Cape Town win the Season 3 title.
Mystery spinners and power-hitters are traditionally among the most sought-after at auctions, and Afghanistan's 20-year-old AM Ghazanfar and West Indian power-hitter Shimron Hetmyer could fill those gaps.