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Allan Donald backs Sourav Ganguly’s leadership at Pretoria Capitals, hailing SA20’s auction drama, fresh talent, and the league’s power to revive careers.
Allan Donald (L) speaks on Sourav Ganguly’s coaching prospects at SA20.
(PC: SA20)
South Africa’s burgeoning franchise league has never felt more electric. When the six franchises converged in Johannesburg on September 9 for the SA20 Season 4 auction, R228 million worth of bids lit up the venue.
Record-breaking figures dominated the headlines—Dewald Brevis snapped up by Pretoria Capitals for a staggering R16.5 million, while Durban Super Giants grabbed Aiden Markram at R14 million—yet it was the strategic nuances that drew former South Africa international Allan Donald’s eye.
“There’s a tremendous variety of options covered,” Donald tells News18 CricketNext during a select media interaction, citing champions MI Cape Town’s acquisitions of Nicholas Pooran [pre-signing], Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks and Tom Moores. For Donald, depth of choice proves as vital as marquee signings.
Yet Pretoria Capitals emerged as auction protagonists. Under newly appointed head coach Sourav Ganguly’s guiding hand, they invested heavily in spin and seam alike—Keshav Maharaj for R1.7 million, Lungi Ngidi at R2.3 million—before unleashing the Brevis bombshell.
“Watching Saurav in the middle of that table, drawing advice from former captains… he drafted extremely well.” Donald notes of a squad blending T20 veterans like Andre Russell, Will Jacks and Sherfane Rutherford with exciting youngsters like Bryce Parsons, the 21-year-old picked for R1.9 million.
Even before the auction began, Pretoria Capitals’ decision to enlist Ganguly signalled a strategic shift. And Donald knows Ganguly is worth the hype. “He was our captain at Pune Warriors way back in the day. Fantastic cricket brain.”
And Donald believes Ganguly’s return to South African shores will reshape the Capitals’ approach. “And there’s no doubt that he will bring that experience to the fore with Pretoria Capitals looking, you know, it’s almost like a brand-new management team, you know, that he’s brought in. So, there’s no doubt that he will bring that to the table.”
Off the field, Pretoria’s supporters have long been among the most passionate in the country. SuperSport Park regularly reverberates with chants and cheers, and Donald expects nothing less this season. “It’s such a great fan base as well. They’re up there in Pretoria at Super Sport Park. They’ve got, it’s one of the most well supported grounds and we we are going to see full houses. I think the people of Pretoria are expecting and expecting a lot. So, the pressure will be on, Sourav for sure. But knowing him, he will come with a with a great plan.”
However, it isn’t only big wallets that matter. Donald highlights how last season’s domestic T20 exposed under-the-radar talents and how they made their mark in SA20. Ruben Hermann, George Linde, and Lutho Sipamla, among others, turned heads last season.
“I think also what the domestic T20 competition has done last year to expose, like you mentioned, Ruben Hermann, and his brother, then there is Matthew Breetzke. So, the domestic competition has done to expose them and then obviously getting drafted up to SA20. Now there’s a youngster from nowhere—a Jacques Snyman type—who gets a shot at MI Cape Town and can blow the doors off.”
As the countdown to December 26 begins, SA20 stands poised for cricket’s next wave: the youth shouting for opportunities and seasoned campaigners rebounding.
For Donald, the league’s true triumph lies in offering lifelines. Whether it’s a player like Delano Potgieter transforming from near-immigration to international prospect, or Sipamla turning a Super Kings ‘injury’ call-up into T20 success.
“The guy [Potgieter] was literally a couple of years ago, thinking of immigrating to Australia to go make his home there and his wife’s a teacher and all of a sudden he gets a season of his life you’ll never forget for Mumbai Cape Town and that puts him right up there. Now he’s in the CPL, he’s playing in the Major League in America all of a sudden. And that is exactly what you want. That’s a great story. And now he’s obviously being talked about as as a potential all-rounder who could get into the the World Cup squad potentially, I’m not saying is, but potentially he’s now knocking the door down,” says Donald.
“SA20 is about giving players another lifeline,” Donald concludes. “It’s highlighting talent, revitalising careers and laying the foundations for South Africa’s future on the global stage.”
Vineet R, an accomplished sports journalist with over 13 years of experience in digital media, currently serves as the Associate Editor – Sports at CricketNext and News18 Sports. With a specialization in cricke…Read More
Vineet R, an accomplished sports journalist with over 13 years of experience in digital media, currently serves as the Associate Editor – Sports at CricketNext and News18 Sports. With a specialization in cricke… Read More
September 12, 2025, 17:17 IST
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