ISLAMABAD – Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on Friday that it willstage a Twenty20 tournament later this year featuring the country’s topplayers and international stars.

South African television company SuperSport will be partners in a dealwhich CSA acting chief executive Thabang Moroe said would be “the biggestin the history of South African domestic cricket”.

A CSA statement gave no details about the format of the tournament, whichwill be played in November and December.

However, it seems unlikely to be as ambitious as the aborted T20 GlobalLeague, which was planned for last season but did not take place.

The Global League was to be a city-based franchise tournament, with foreignowners of seven of the eight teams.

But it fell through, leading to the departure of then CSA chief executiveHaroon Lorgat because no television deal and no major sponsors were inplace.

Although no details of the number of teams were revealed, it seems unlikelythat there will be private ownership of the franchises.

Moroe said the owners who had signed up for last year’s league had beenrefunded their deposits.

The Global League cost CSA an estimated 180 million rand (about $13.7m,11.7m euros), including compensation pay-outs to 144 players who had beensigned.

If all South Africa’s leading players are to be available, the tournamentwill have to start in late November because South Africa will play threeone-day internationals and a T20 international in Australia, ending onNovember 17.