Chris Morris expecting records to fall at SA20 player auction
Chris Morris anticipates record-breaking bids at the SA20 player auction, with Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis expected to attract significant attention from teams like Pretoria Capitals and Durban Super Giants. Picture: Arjun Singh/SA20/Sportzpics
Image: Arjun Singh/SA20/Sportzpics
As the player auction for the SA20 is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, former Proteas all-rounder Chris Morris has predicted big things for this year’s edition.
With the highest bid the main topic of discussion, there are a number of players who are earmarked to attract vast sums of money.
In the first season of the competition, Proteas star Tristan Stubbs was bought by Sunrisers Eastern Cape for R9.2 million.
Morris, though, believes this mark will fall this year by a bidding war for Proteas batsman Aiden Markram.
Aiden’s Auction: Pretoria Capitals and Durban Super Giants in the Lead
“I definitely think it’s going to be a record. I think there are two teams that are probably lining Aiden up the most. Everybody’s leaning towards Pretoria Capitals because he is a local and they need a captain and they’ve probably got the most money,” Morris told SportsBoom.co.za in an exclusive interview.
“But I do think that the Durban Super Giants are going to pull a quick one. I think they might be the team to beat in terms of the auction to get Aiden’s signature. But in saying that, with teams who’ve got a lot of money left, anything can happen.
“I think the Sunrisers can’t afford him. But I think they’ll be blown out of the water in terms of the price that he’s going to go for. But I think he’s probably the name that’s on everyone’s lips.”
Rising Star Dewald Brevis: A Key Player for Pretoria Capitals in SA20 Auction
Of course, there is the rapidly rising 22-year-old Dewald Brevis. He has performed for a number of seasons now in the SA20, having played all three editions. However, since the last edition of the SA20, Brevis has now also broken through in the Proteas side and could therefore skyrocket his worth in the local competition.
“You also can't look past a guy like Brevis. I think Brevis is also on the radar of the Pretoria Capitals, a local boy as well. He's young, so they can build for the future with him and potentially a future captain of the Capitals.
“Same thing with [Matthew] Breetzke. You've got a lot of batters that are going to be lined up. Breetzke, at the moment, is in red-hot form.
“Then there’s (Kwena) Mapaka, (Quinton) de Kock, you've got all the players that are currently in form, including Wiaan Mulder, that are available. So look, when it comes to the auction, it's fascinating to see the tactics that the teams will have. Because obviously, there'll be a little bit of tactics involved in trying to spend people's money for them.”