Cricket

England's Test players are set to make a significant impact on the upcoming seasons of the ILT20 and SA20 leagues. After missing the second seasons of both tournaments due to their tour of India, several Test stars are now being targeted by franchises.Joe Root has already been unveiled as a new signing by Paarl Royals in the SA20, and ESPNcricinfo reports that other Test players have also attracted interest. The Telegraph claims that Ben Stokes, who has not played limited-overs cricket since the 2019 World Cup, has been offered a lucrative contract by MI Cape Town.England's managing director, Rob Key, has acknowledged that lucrative offers from franchise leagues have influenced the decision to award multi-year central contracts to players. With Stokes' England contract expiring in September, he could use similar offers as leverage.While England will play T20I and ODI series in India early next year, their winter Test tours to Pakistan and New Zealand will conclude before Christmas. This means that players not involved in those limited-overs squads will be available for the full seasons of the ILT20 or SA20.Root's availability for the SA20 is uncertain, as his England future in white-ball cricket remains unclear. However, he should be available for the majority of the tournament even if selected for the ODI series in India.The ILT20 and SA20 leagues, backed by Indian investors, have transformed the franchise landscape by offering substantial salaries to overseas players during the southern-hemisphere summer. Both leagues will run from mid-January to early February in 2025.Jamie Smith, who made his Test debut recently, has been retained by Gulf Giants in the ILT20 and was also targeted by Pretoria Capitals in the SA20. Like other young players such as Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope, Smith has aspirations to break into England's white-ball team but can rely on franchise cricket as a fallback option.Root's experience and versatility will be valuable for Paarl Royals, according to their global director of cricket, Kumar Sangakkara. Sangakkara praised Root's all-around abilities, including his bowling and fielding.

Kane Williamson, the former New Zealand captain, has revealed that his decision to decline a central contract was driven by his desire to participate in the inaugural season of the South African T20 league (SA20). The SA20 is scheduled to take place from January 9 to February 8, 2025, coinciding with the Super Smash tournament in New Zealand.Under New Zealand Cricket's (NZC) rules, players must participate in the Super Smash unless they are on international duty to be eligible for a central contract. Williamson's decision to prioritize the SA20 meant he had to forgo the central contract."I want to play as long as I can. There are a number of great competitions during that time, but SA20 looks really exciting. Unfortunately, it meant turning down a central contract," Williamson explained.Despite declining the central contract, Williamson emphasized his unwavering commitment to representing New Zealand in all three formats outside of the SA20. He will miss the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka in January but will be available for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September, as well as the World Test Championship (WTC) matches against India and Sri Lanka away and the three-match series against England at home."My priority still is, absolutely, playing for New Zealand. I think I might miss maybe a handful of games over a three-week period," Williamson said.Williamson also expressed his excitement about the future of New Zealand's leadership in white-ball cricket. "I've really, really enjoyed my time captaining and it's been a privilege and an honor to do that for a number of years. I'm excited with what's next for the team in terms of the leadership as well and looking forward to being part of that," he added.The 33-year-old batsman did not set a specific timeframe for his international career, stating that he was taking it one year at a time. "In terms of a timeframe, it's difficult to say. I want to keep being fit, doing as well as I can, keep trying to improve. All major events and key series are things that whet the appetite and are an exciting prospect," Williamson said.

Kane Williamson, the former New Zealand captain, has confirmed his participation in the inaugural season of the SA20 league in January 2023. This decision comes after Williamson declined a central contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for the 2024-25 season.Williamson emphasized that his decision was primarily driven by NZC's player availability rules, which require players to participate in the Super Smash domestic tournament if not on international duty. He stressed that his commitment to New Zealand cricket remains unwavering, despite his absence from the SA20.The SA20 league will likely see Williamson miss only a handful of international matches, including three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka. However, his participation in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September remains uncertain. Williamson will participate in the World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka and India, the three-match home series against England, and an ODI tour of Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy in February.Williamson expressed his excitement about the SA20 league, stating that it is a "really exciting" competition. He acknowledged that his decision to decline the central contract was a difficult one, but emphasized that his priority remains playing for New Zealand.Regarding the longevity of his international career, Williamson indicated that he intends to play as long as possible. He acknowledged that major events and series, such as the 2028 T20 World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, remain on his radar. However, he emphasized the importance of managing his time and fitness effectively.Williamson also expressed his desire to continue playing across all three formats of international cricket. However, he acknowledged that his T20 spot may come under scrutiny as the team rebuilds following their disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup in the West Indies.NZC CEO Scott Weenink stated that the casual playing arrangement afforded to Williamson will only be offered to a select few senior players who have earned the right to be treated in a certain way. He cited Trent Boult and Tim Southee as other players who have been granted this option.

The South African T20 league, SA20, will return for its third season in 2025, running from January 9 to February 8. The six-team, 34-game tournament will once again occupy a prominent spot in the global cricket calendar, overlapping with other major leagues such as the Big Bash League, ILT20, and BPL.SA20 Commissioner Graeme Smith expressed excitement about the upcoming season, stating that the league aims to "continue to own the South African summer" and provide fans with access to world-class cricket. The fixtures, auction, and player announcements will be revealed in the coming months.The timing of the SA20 could potentially conflict with other international commitments for South Africa. The proposed ODI tri-series in Pakistan, involving South Africa, New Zealand, and Pakistan, may take place shortly after the SA20 concludes on February 8. The dates for this series and the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan have yet to be officially announced.In previous years, the SA20 has taken precedence over other international tours. In 2023, Cricket South Africa (CSA) prioritized the franchise competition over a Test tour of New Zealand, sending a second-string squad instead. CSA also withdrew from an ODI series in Australia that clashed with the SA20, sacrificing valuable World Cup Super League points.Sunrisers Eastern Cape, owned by the Sun Group, have won both previous seasons of the SA20. They will face stiff competition from last season's runners-up Durban's Super Giants, as well as Pretoria Capitals, Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, and Paarl Royals.The SA20 has quickly established itself as a major force in the global cricket landscape, attracting top players from around the world. The upcoming season promises to deliver another thrilling spectacle of cricket and entertainment for fans in South Africa and beyond.

The International League T20 (ILT20) is set to face scheduling conflicts with the Big Bash League (BBL) and potentially the SA20 in 2025. The ILT20, a five-team franchise-based tournament in the UAE, has announced its schedule for 2025, running from January 11 to February 9.The BBL's dates have not been officially announced, but it is expected to run until January 26. The SA20 is likely to start shortly after the New Year's Test between Pakistan and South Africa in Cape Town, which ends on January 7.Another potential overlap is South Africa's ODI series in Pakistan, scheduled for mid-February, as preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.The ILT20 may also clash with the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), although the ILT20 has been more lucrative for top players. These scheduling conflicts have led to a high turnover of players in the ILT20, with teams signing players for specific windows as they move between competitions.The BBL experienced a mass exodus of overseas players for the finals series last season when the ILT20 began on January 19. However, some overseas players were able to play most of the regular season before leaving for the UAE. This will not be the case next summer for players contracted to the ILT20.The BBL hoped to mitigate potential clashes by having Australia's Test stars available after the Sydney Test against India on January 7. However, Australia has a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka scheduled for late January to early February, and it is understood that the Test players may only be available for three BBL games, if at all, depending on rest requirements after five Tests against India in seven weeks.The scheduling conflicts highlight the challenges of coordinating international cricket calendars, particularly with the proliferation of franchise-based leagues. It remains to be seen how the ILT20, BBL, and SA20 will adjust their schedules to avoid overlaps and ensure the availability of top players.

Liam Dawson, the 34-year-old English spin-bowling all-rounder, has acknowledged that his Test cricket aspirations are over. Dawson, who last played a Test in 2017, was not selected for England's tour of India this winter, despite being the leading English spinner in last year's County Championship.Dawson had previously indicated that he would have to weigh up whether to accept an England call, having agreed a lucrative contract to play for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20, a tournament that clashed directly with the start of the Test tour. He ultimately chose to prioritize his T20 commitments, a decision he does not regret."For me, probably Test cricket now is completely off the radar," Dawson said. "But it is what it is, I'm 34 and I want to enjoy my cricket and try to win trophies towards the end of my career."Dawson has won 20 England caps across three formats going back to 2016, as well as an ODI World Cup winners' medal in 2019. He was a travelling reserve for both the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, but said he does not expect to be in the mix for this year's tournament in the Caribbean and USA."I think with my age, 34, realistically that's probably gone to be honest," Dawson said. "I'm looking forward to playing for Hampshire this season, and the Hundred with London Spirit."Dawson's decision to prioritize T20 cricket reflects the challenge for young English spinners to come through the system. With the rain teeming down in England for much of the year, it can be difficult for spinners to get enough game time to develop their skills."Without doubt, it's very, very difficult," Dawson said. "If you're an out-and-out spinner it's not easy to play in these conditions, the time of the year we play. There's no ideal scenario, what gives, what doesn't? When do you play Championship cricket? It's a tough thing to do."Despite the challenges, Dawson believes that England have two promising young spinners in Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, who both impressed on the tour of India."They [Hartley and Bashir] did very well," Dawson said. "They're good bowlers. I faced Bashir last year here, I thought he was a really good bowler, and the same with Tom Hartley when we played them in Southport, very consistent. Hopefully they can continue to do well."