WeeklySA_AdminPREMIER LEAGUE: The inaugural tournament is set to launch next year in South Africa hoping to attract the best global talent
By Sports Reporter
The African Premier League will initially be hosted in South Africa due to a lack of facilities across the continent. Organisers of Africa’s new continental T20 franchise competition say they want to avoid a “rivalry” with The Hundred – despite potentially picking the same slot in cricket’s crowded international calendar.
The African Premier League (APL), set to be played in August and September, is the latest T20 league looking to muscle in on the success of events like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Big Bash in Australia.
The inaugural tournament is set to launch next year in South Africa, hoping to attract the best global talent. “There’s big interest with regards to investors from overseas, even as far as America,” Africa Cricket Association (ACA) chief executive Cassim Suliman told BBC Sport Africa.
“Everyone is looking at Africa and the first Africa Premier League.” The Hundred, which sees each side face 100 balls, is the brainchild of the England and Wales Cricket Board, and is the only competition of its type in the world. This year’s schedule begins on 1 August with a final on 27 August.
But Suliman has insisted the two tournaments can co-exist even if they end up overlapping. “The only open window we have is somewhere between August and September,” he explained.
“Then you get more viewership. Broadcasting-wise, it will be quite an opportune time to have that launched.
“There is no such thing as rivalry. We have to stay clear and not clash with any other events and make sure everyone is happy.”
How to take on the IPL?
Earlier this year, South African cricket launched its own T20 competition, SA20. It means most major cricketing nations now have their own franchise-based event – a key reason why the sport’s calendar is so busy.
Each one is playing catch up with the IPL, which dominates when it comes to exposure and revenue. “You must take into consideration the other T20s like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh,” Suliman explained. “They started earlier and are also building to that level.
“We are right at the bottom end but the SA20 was brilliant. It was exciting, brought the crowds back and it has definitely left a very good legacy with the first year alone.
“It’s starting blocks for us so our expectations are not that high. We take one step at a time and I’m sure eventually it will get further up the ladder,” he added. The inaugural SA20 was made up of six teams based in Tshwane, Johannesburg, Durban, Gqeberha, Cape Town and Paarl
Ahead of this year’s SA20, tournament commissioner and former South Africa captain Graeme Smith told BBC Sport Africa of their plan to take games to neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and Angola.
Smith also said he’d be happy to sit down with the ACA to help with their plans for the APL.
“Graeme has a lot of experience and expertise and he’s a good friend,” Suliman said. “It would be a good feather in our cap to have him involved in the APL.”
Why August and September?
APL organisers settled on the August/September window after consultation with the International Cricket Council, the sport’s governing body, and Cricket South Africa.
For Suliman, avoiding a clash with any of the Proteas’ tours is key to ensuring South African international players are free to join the APL.
“We need to make sure we get the top players that can rub shoulders with African players who can learn and educate themselves from that experience – it will be absolutely brilliant.
“It’ll be players from the UK, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, of course South Africa and Zimbabwe, and the local players within the ACA. Indeed, those local players have already been able to stake their cases thanks to last year’s first ever Africa Cup – a T20 tournament for non-Test playing nations on the continent.
Although the first edition of the APL will be hosted only in South Africa, the ultimate aim is that it will be a truly pan-African event. “There is a problem because infrastructure and facilities are hard to come by at the moment,” Suliman revealed.
“There’s no other country besides South Africa that can give you that type of facility. “The other members are busy catching up and bringing up to speed facilities because there are no floodlights anywhere in Africa besides South Africa,” Suliman said.
“Nigeria is building two ovals. Same with Ghana and Rwanda, but it will take time.”-BBC NEWS
BIDDING STARTS FOR FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2027
NEW STANDARDS: Most comprehensive bidding process in the history of the competition
By Sports Reporter
FIFA has launched what it calls the most robust and comprehensive bidding process in the history of the FIFA Women’s World Cup with the Congress expected to appoint, for the first time ever, the host(s) of the 2027 edition next week on May 17.
The process for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ maintains all key elements from the successful FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ bidding process, such as the publication of key content and documentation, the inclusion of robust rules of conduct and the implementation of a comprehensive evaluation model.
Member associations to express interest by April 21 2023 In addition, the 2027 process has been further enhanced to include the following new elements:
Decision-making process
The FIFA Council will select up to three bids, with the FIFA Congress then voting to appoint the host(s) through an open vote.
Bid Evaluation Task Force
FIFA will establish a Bid Evaluation Task Force to evaluate all bids submitted for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. The composition of the Bid Evaluation Task Force will be approved by the FIFA Council following confirmation of the bidding member associations.
Additional integrity measures
In addition to appointing an independent audit company to monitor FIFA’s compliance with the principles and procedures of the bidding process, each bidder will also be required to appoint a Bid Compliance and Ethics Officer to monitor their compliance with the bidding process.
Key dates
Member associations will have until April 21 2023 to submit their expressions of interest to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™.
Other key dates include:
19 May 2023: Member associations to confirm their interest in bidding to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ by submitting the Bidding Agreement. August 2023: Bid workshop and observer programme to take place during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ 8 December 2023: Member associations to submit their bids to FIFA
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ – Bidding Process Timeline (Part 1) February 2024: FIFA to organise on-site inspection visits to bidding countries May 2024: Publication of FIFA’s Bid Evaluation Report
Q2 2024: Designation of bids by the FIFA Council 17 May 2024: Appointment of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ host(s) by the FIFA Congress
The above dates are subject to change.
Sports:
Briefs
SADIO INSANE PUNCH-UP
Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane was suspended and fined forward for punching team-mate Leroy Sane after Champions League defeat to Manchester City midweek. Sky Germany reported that Leroy Sane’s lip was bleeding after the altercation and the two players needed to be separated by their fellow team-mates in the dressing room; The duo were seen on the pitch arguing in the latter stages of the match on Tuesday as Man City won 3-0
Mane will also be fined and won’t be part of the Bayern squad for their home Bundesliga game against Hoffenheim on Saturday.
LEWIS HAMILTON A ‘MADALA”
DAMON HILL feels that Lewis Hamilton, given his age and experience in F1, has started to “lose his speed on the track”. Hill, who won the world championship with Williams in 1996, said that “the arrival of the younger, faster driver” can seriously impact an older team-mate. And according to Hill, Lewis Hamilton cannot keep up with the pace of the younger drivers forever.
Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, he said: “Drivers in their late 30s can no longer do those absolutely absurd kind of transcendental laps that they used to be able to do when they were in their 20s.
The former racing driver was specifically referring to George Russell’s ability to out-qualify Hamilton. Russell,25, leads Hamilton 3-0 in their qualifying head-to-heads in 2023.
TELKOM RENEW NETBALL VOWS
The renewal of the Telkom Netball league’s sponsorship for another three years – announced in Sandton on Wednesday – will only help continue that growth, while the addition of two more teams in an expanded 15-team tournament will increase its footprint even more. Netball in South Africa will arguably reach an apotheosis this year when it hosts the World Cup in July in Cape Town, but Netball SA president Cecilia Molokwane is dreaming even bigger and looking beyond that, too.
“We have realised that there is something right that we are doing, but we want more. We want to grow this sport and make sure that netball is being taken seriously and it grows to the level that it should be at.”
“Next year, we want to introduce international players in the Telkom Netball League,” she said earlier this week in a year she is calling “20-20-she”.
IRISH AND ITALIAN STORM
The DHL Stormers will be hunting a victory this weekend to remain in second place on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship log, while the other three South African franchises will be under immense pressure to register victories to remain in the race for playoff spots as the competition strikes the penultimate round of pool matches with an invasion of Irish and Italian teams.
The Cell C Sharks will kick off the weekend’s action against Benetton in Durban on Friday at 18h30, and the action continues Saturday with a double-header in Johannesburg between the Vodacom Bulls and Zebre Parma at 13h00, and the Emirates Lions and log-leaders Leinster at 16h00. The DHL Stormers will wrap up the action for the local teams on Saturday at 18h15 against Munster in Cape Town.
As things stand, the DHL Stormers – in second place on the log – are guaranteed of a home quarter-final, but they will have to fend off third-placed Ulster, who trail by only two log points, in the last two league rounds to remain in a favourable position for a possible home semi-final if they advance to the top four.
SA TEAM FOR AFRICAN U18 AND U20 CHAMPS (ZAMBIA)
A full strength national team has been announced for the CAA African U18 and U20 Championships to be held in Ndola, Zambia from April 29 to May 3. A final 41-member U18 (Youth) squad has been unveiled by Athletics South Africa, including 23 boys and 18 girls, along with a 45-member U20 (Junior) squad which includes 22 men and 23 women.
The men’s U20 team features the likes of World U20 Championships silver medallist Brian Raats, who will turn out in the high jump and long jump prospect Asande Mthembu, who has already landed at 8.08m this season. Among the women, Ashley Erasmus will be eager to showcase her form at international level after winning double gold in the shot put and discus throw at the ASA U20 Championships in Pietermaritzburg last month and going on to take the ASA senior shot put title in Potchefstroom.
