SA20 2023: Paarl Royals’ star Jos Buttler believes the league will be important for South African cricket

07 January 2023, National: Boland Park-based Paarl Royals will be kickstarting their SA20 campaign on Tuesday, and their star wicketkeeper-batter, T20 World Cup winning captain Jos Buttler believes the team is “capable of winning the tournament.” He said, “If you look through the team, there’s some fantastic players in there, but then it's very much down to how we play and get the best out of ourselves and click as a unit. I'm really excited to play under David Miller's leadership and I’ve played with him a fair bit - the Royals also know him well and we’re looking forward to him leading us.”

“There’s JP Duminy as head coach, he’s someone who I’ve played against a few times and I’m really looking forward to working alongside him. I think we have some great experience and some fantastic young players as well, so it's a nice blend,” added Buttler who has played at Boland Park twice before with his national team.

Sharing his thoughts on what South Africa’s new explosive T20 league can bring to the home nation, Buttler said, “I think leagues like the SA20 are very much at the forefront of cricket and are also paving way for the future of cricket. In my opinion, the IPL is the biggest and the best cricket tournament in the world, because of the kind of eyeballs it brings to the game. And similarly, it’s really important for South African cricket to have so many IPL teams being associated with the SA20.”

He continued, “I think franchise cricket brings the best players from the international teams and the best local talent together, and gives the domestic players an environment to thrive and flourish in. With the youngsters getting that opportunity to rub shoulders with the best in the world, it’ll leave a really positive impact on the development of South African cricket and help pave a stronger environment where there is accelerated learning. So, I see the SA20 as a really important moment in South African cricket’s history.”

Summing up the last year which consisted of some incredible hitting, memorable tons and some valuable titles, Buttler said, “I was really happy with the way things obviously went in 2022. I had my best IPL season by far with the Royals, and we were disappointed not to lift the trophy, but we had a fantastic season. As a group, I think we had a really experienced and balanced team. Personally, I found some fantastic formulas and a really good mindset, and I was really pleased to contribute with the runs.”

“And then of course, the highlight very much was becoming a T20 World Cup winner with England. It’s a big moment in my career having taken over the captaincy, and to top it off with a win in a World Cup, and to make England a team holding both the 50-over and 20-over World Cups at the same time is an amazing achievement. So, it's been an amazing year. But now we're at the start of a new one. Hopefully there's some more good things in 2023,” added England’s white-ball skipper.

Having scored more than 1500 runs at a strike rate of 154.65 across international and domestic T20s, Buttler was in the form of his life, and credits a few factors. “I think it’s a few things that have helped me get there. I think the change in my batting position in T20 cricket, moving to the top has given me more opportunity to be consistent. But certainly, my experiences over the years have really shaped me. There’s been a lot of learnings, a lot of understanding of my own game, and I’ve also taken some really valuable pieces of advice from people that have worked well.”

He continued, “And maybe I’m very content in myself, and not having to try and prove anything to anyone. It’s just about trying to play the game that’s in front of me and then trying to do it again and again. I think that's been a good part of the last few years - it's about not resting on my laurels of one performance, and trying to go again.”

Participating in the inaugural season of the SA20, Buttler will be playing for his second Royals franchise, having spent five years with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. He ended up sharing thoughts on that experience as well. “I think the IPL is very unique. It's been going for a long time now, and there are certain players who seem to have stuck with one franchise for a very long time, and then other players play for many different franchises. Personally, I've just really enjoyed my time with the Royals over the years. There’s been some really special bonds made with certain people, they’ve been so welcoming to my family as well which is very settling as a player.”

The 32-year-old also added that his first season with the Royals made a greater impact on him choosing to stay with the franchise. “The first half of my first season with the Royals, I wasn’t doing too well, but then suddenly had a fantastic run of scores and moved on to open the batting. I really enjoyed working with Shane Warne as well, and it made my first year with the Royals very, very special. It just made me want to always, fingers crossed, continue with the franchise. Hence, when the big auction came and I was offered the retention, I had that loyalty and the faith shown in me from the franchise was fantastic.”

Speaking of the conditions to expect from the different locations where SA will be played, the England captain said he expects “fast and bouncy wickets in most places, but the franchise’s Boland Park could be on the slower side and the bigger boundaries along with the winds can play a part,” as he signed off.

Paarl Royals will begin their SA20 campaign against MI Cape Town on 10th January 2023 at Newlands from 17.30hrs South African Standard Time (GMT+2) and 21.00hrs Indian Standard Time.

Tickets for all matches of the inaugural season of the SA20 are available at bit.ly/SA20Tickets