International T20 League (ILT20) CEO David White has responded to former South Africa captain Graeme Smith's comments in which the latter criticized the league as a “challenge” to the cricket world.
Smith claimed that the ILT20 is not doing anything for the growth of cricket and should be looked into. However, White decided to respond to Smith's criticism and reminded him of how the league has benefited cricket in the UAE and associated countries.
It should be noted that Graeme Smith is the commissioner of the ongoing SA20, the franchise-based T20 league in South Africa. The SA20 and ILT20 will synchronize with each other which will split the number. One of the big names in the world of cricket.
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David White responds to Graeme Smith's brutal criticism of ILT20
Speaking to Cricbuzz, David White was harsh in his assessment of Graeme Smith's comments on ILT20. He claimed that the league gives opportunities to players from associate countries and is the only league to do so.
“Oh, Mr. Smith, it is not our policy to talk about other leagues. We are the only league in the world that provides a platform for affiliate countries to participate at this level. We have players from Nepal, Malaysia, USA, Scotland, Netherlands, Namibia and Italy.”
White is also the former CEO of New Zealand Cricket. He also asked Graeme Smith to conduct proper research on the motives of ILT20 and reminded him how the UAE has always helped the cricket world host major events.
“Listen, he's entitled to make his comments, but I just think his comments were made without any investigation, maybe he should have taken the time to look at what we're looking to achieve, what we're achieving and the importance that we're making and making it clear that this league has a huge impact on the growth of the game.” Cricket in the UAE, the wider Gulf and the international game.
“It is easy to ignore the influence of the UAE,” White said. “The UAE has incredible facilities and privately invested facilities, and is the backbone for all ICC events.”
What did Graeme Smith say about ILT20?
Graeme Smith had previously conducted a brutal look at ILT20 and took offense to them by calling it not good for the future of the game. He claimed that the league does not contribute at the grassroots level, which represents a major challenge.
“We are built against IL T20, so it is very difficult for me not to speak like I am speaking poorly about them, but I feel a league like this is not good for the game as there are too many players.” International players are needed to build a team; There is no investment in domestic cricket,” said the former South Africa opener.
“This represents a challenge to the global game and is something that must be managed moving forward,” he noted.
SA20 and ILT20 synchronize with each other
The third season of SA20 began on 9 January with MI Cape Town defeating defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape by a massive margin of 97 points. Two matches have been played so far. The final match of the tournament is scheduled to be held on February 8.
Meanwhile, the IL T20 will start from January 11 where Dubai Capitals will take on MI UAE in the first match in Dubai. The tournament will be held from January 11 to February 9. Since the two tournaments will be held simultaneously, the leading players in world cricket will be divided.