Tristan Stubbs has attracted the highest auction price for the Twenty20 tournaments in South Africa. JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South Africa attracted the highest prices while many notable international players were not sold at the SA20 Twenty20 Championship auction in Cape Town on Monday. The Eastern Cape Sunrisers have bought rising star Tristan Stubbs, who paid 9.2 million rand ($540,000) to play in the tournament this January and February. Sunrisers also paid the second highest price of 6.9 million rand for a racket, Rilee Rossouw. All six franchises in South Africa are controlled by the Indian owners of the IPL teams, although there are no Indian players available. Marco Jansen, the founder of the Tall, went to Pretoria Capitals for 5.6 million rand. The highest price paid to an overseas player was 2.1 million rand for hitting new English batsman Harry Brook and West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who were bought by Johannesburg Super Kings. Several high-profile players were signed before the auction, including England’s white ball captain Joss Butler, England’s multi-level player William Livingston, and Afghan player Rashid Khan, along with South African stars Kajisu Rabada, David Miller, Pfaff de Plessis and Enrich Norte. Among the foreign players not sold are New Zealanders Jimmy Nissam, West Indians Odin Smith, Brandon King, Jayden Sells, Shay Hope, England’s Tim Mills and Ole Robinson, as well as Sri Lankans Pathum Nisanka, Kusal Mendes and Kusal Pereira.
SA20 Commissioner and former South African star Graeme Smith said the aim is to make the new league the second most popular league in the world after the Indian Premier League (IPL).
But Eoin Morgan, who recently quit international cricket after a stint as England’s white ball captain, has not attracted any offers.
South African T20 captain Temba Bavuma attracted no bids, nor did test captain Dean Elgar.
Unsold players can be purchased in a second round of bidding.
