Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday decided to postpone the inaugural season Twenty20 Global League till November 2018 following a board meeting with the franchise owners on Tuesday.
“We have not come to this decision lightly,” commented CSA acting CEO, Thabang Moroe. “We have re-assessed our strategy and believe that postponing the first edition of the T20 Global League to next year will serve us well. We will regroup and come back stronger and better,” added Moroe.
Owners of Indian Premier League franchises Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils had bought teams in the tournament.
Star players such as AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen were signed on to play in the league.
The league has been treading through troubled waters since its inception. Earlier this year, CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat quit after disagreements with other board members reportedly over his negotiations for the T20 Global league.
The league was to go ahead despite facing an estimated net loss of about $25 million, while franchise owners would lose about $1.5 million in the first season.