Dewald Brevis' R16.5 million is a gamechanger for South African cricket

There was a moment in the Betway SA20 auction when everyone inside The Galeria was transported back to Nairobi’s Gymkhana at the turn of the millennium.

The match: The ICC Champions Trophy Final.

Two fiercely competitive captains, Stephen Fleming from New Zealand, going up against the Prince of Bengal, India’s Sourav Ganguly.

On that day, it was Fleming that emerged victorious - despite a Ganguly century - with his Black Caps as New Zealand claimed their first-ever major ICC silverware.

Twenty-five years later it seemed like Ganguly had not forgotten that fateful day and was intent on revenge.

Now wearing his Pretoria Capitals hat as the franchise’s new head coach, Ganguly has seen off another old rival in Paarl Royals’ Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara and was now locked in to get one over “Flem”, his Joburg Super Kings counterpart, for the signature of Proteas hotshot Dewald Brevis.

A bidding war ensued with Ganguly pushing Fleming to the point of no return before he flexed even further to raise his padel for a record-breaking R16.5 million.

It made Brevis the most expensive player in the competition's four-year history and came on the back of the 22-year-old smashing the highest individual score by a Protea in a T20I last month.

“You know, he (Fleming) got me up too many times when he was captain, in New Zealand on green seaming pitches,” Ganguly quipped. 

“He had fielders all over, and it kept moving around all the time. So, this was an opportunity to beat him. And we went past him.”

But what about the kid caught in the middle of the uber macho battle between two of the global game’s heavyweights. Will he be able to handle the pressure of his mega price-tag being mentioned every time he walks onto the crease?

Personally, I feel that Brevis will cope just fine with the weight of expectation on his shoulders.

It's something he has become accustomed to ever since “Baby AB” burst on the scene at the 2022 ICC U19 World Cup and since increased after recently becoming the holder of the highest individual T20I score by a Proteas Men’s batter.

The greater gravitas for me surrounding Brevis’ purchase price is the message it sends to aspiring South African cricketers.

Brevis is just 22 and he is now a multi-millionaire. There is no sporting competition in South Africa that can offer these astronomical financial rewards - especially at such a young age.

Rugby has long been the first choice of talented sportsmen upon completion of their schooling in South Africa. Even more disturbing is that Cricket SA surveys reveal that the biggest drop out from the game is between 15–17-year-olds.

Considering the new-found financial influx into the local game and SA20’s commitment to development of young cricketers with the introduction of the Under-23 category, this should seriously precipitate a readjustment. 

There are no rugby or football teams in the country that can match Brevis’ payout for just a single month’s work.

Equally, it's not just Brevis’ R16.5m that is being set as the aspirational value, but 19-year-old Lhuan-Pretorius being pre-signed for an undisclosed amount along with fellow teenager Kwena Maphaka bagging a cool R2.3 million. 

The sum total spent on Under-23 players was over R22 million with relatively unknown teens, such as Bayanda Majola and Nqobani Mokoena being picked up for R200 00 each.

The game has changed significantly since Ganguly and Fleming locked horns in East Africa at the turn of the millennium and South African cricket is certainly better off for it.