A number of Proteas players will be smiling all the way to the bank.
Hot shot batter Dewald Brevis, 22, sold for R16.5 million at the fourth SA20 player auction on Tuesday.
Brevis played for MI Cape Town in the first three seasons, but now returns home where he will play for the Pretoria Capitals. The previous highest amount bid on a player was R9 million, for Tristan Stubbs.
“He’s a game changer,” said new Capitals coach Sourav Ganguly.
New teams
Proteas T20 captain Aiden Markram, who led the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to two titles, was sold to Durban’s Super Giants for R14 million, also a record amount, while all-rounder Wiaan Mulder was sold to the Joburg Super Kings for R9 million.
Markram, who’s in England preparing for a T20 series starting on Wednesday, said it was a little tough to not be able to keep an eye on proceedings at the auction.
“It’s a weird one, but I think it happens quite often nowadays, so you sort of crack on. Us as players have absolutely no say in that, and however the cards fall is how it’s going to be,” he said.
“We’ll get through our training session and post-training there will be some news about guys having to move to new teams, or staying in teams, and you can allow it to be what it is today but understand what the job is here this week.”
Quinton de Kock, previously of the Super Giants, will now play for the Sunrisers, after being sold for R2.4 million, while Lungi Ngidi was sold for R2.3 million to Paarl Royals.
Keshav Maharaj will play for Pretoria Capitals this coming season, after playing for the Super Giants, after being sold for R1.7 million and young left-arm fast bowler Kwena Maphaka will next feature for the Super Giants after being bought for R2.3 million.
All the above marquee players’ base price was R500,000.
Two newer Proteas white-ball cricketers also fetched good prices; namely Nandre Burger, who sold for R6.3 million to Joburg Super Kings, and Matthew Breetzke, who sold for R6.1 million to Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
Rassie van der Dussen went for R5.2 million to MI Cape Town and Anrich Nortje went for R5 million to the Sunrisers.
Spinner Senuran Muthusamy (Sunrisers) sold for R1.5 million and New Zealander Devon Conway (Super Giants) for just R325,000.
Other South Africans to be sold for high amounts include Gerald Coetzee (R7.4m, Super Giants), Ottniel Baartman (R5.1m, Royals), Connor Esterhuizen (R3.2m, Capitals), Delano Potgieter (R2.6m, Royals), Lizaad Williams (R2.4m, Capitals), Kyle Verreynne (R2.3m, Royals), Eathan Bosch (R1.75m, Super Giants) and Prenelan Subrayen (R1m, Super Kings).
The fourth SA20 will be played between 26 December this year and 25 January next year. MI Cape Town will be the defending champions.
This story has been updated. More to follow …
