Durban [South Africa], January 10 : The former South African cricketer and current SA20 League Commissioner, Graeme Smith, praised the SA20 league's strong growth, noting increased viewership and higher crowd attendance in the first two weeks of the ongoing season.
He also highlighted the improvement in cricket quality and expressed confidence that the tournament is going to have a strong finish.
The SA20 2025-26 season started on December 26 and is set to conclude on January 25 after a month-long T20 action in the Rainbow Nation.
Speaking to the media about South Africa's T20 league, Graeme Smith said SA20 has shown clear growth in its opening weeks, with rising viewership, strong crowds, and an improved atmosphere. He expressed optimism about fan interest and a strong finish to the season, noting the league is only halfway through.
"We have seen clear growth over the opening two weeks, in viewership, crowd attendance and the overall atmosphere. The cricket itself has been very strong, which is really exciting. One can't always predict the weather. Unseasonal fronts in parts of South Africa create challenges, especially with a game every day and constant travel. But I think right now we've just got to stay positive. There's a lot of cricket still left to be played. We're only halfway really in the season and the tension and the atmosphere, and I can just feel the number of people that are talking, wanting to come to games," the former Proteas captain said.
"Even with one or two rained-out games, watching how the crowds haven't left, it shows you that the product, I think, has really stepped up another level this year. Our job is to stay positive, and we keep going and pushing for a strong finish to the season," he added.
Speaking about key indicators of SA20's success, Smith said that the rise in ticket sales is a major marker reflecting the league's growing popularity.
"We've seen a big increase in ticketing. I think we've four more sold-out games already than we were at the same point last year. What's it, over 27 or 28% increase in ticketing in the first half of the season? Viewership is up in India, viewership is up here; digital growth is up. "
Smith said the quality of cricket is another key measure of SA20's success, praising improved pitches and competitive matches, and expressed hope that standards will continue to improve in the coming weeks.
"I think the other metric that's important for me has always got to be the cricket. I think the pitches have been slightly better on a consistent level than they were last year. We've seen closer games, super-overs, hundreds, hat-tricks, number of last-over finishes. I think the quality of cricket has been excellent this year. I'm hoping that over the next two weeks, we'll really see that stay the same or even get better," Graeme Smith said.
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