Sunrisers’ coach discusses rise of T20 and franchises
Eastern Cape’s international coaching export, Adrian Birrell, livened up the 121st edition of the Pineapple Cricket Tournament with an entertaining talk about his career and the state of global cricket on Monday at the PA Country Club.
Birrell coached the Eastern Cape Sunrisers to two SA20 titles in the first two years of the tournament and missed out on a hat-trick of titles in the final against MI Cape Town earlier this year. He announced to huge applause from the audience that he had recently signed up to coach the successful Eastern Cape franchise for a further three years.
“I think I have had longevity in coaching because I was actually a crap player … and I got in to it very very early. I have had a bit of luck … but my dad instilled in me the love of cricket and the love of coaching … and I have a very privileged career of having a life in cricket.”
Birrell who leaves next week to resume his coaching stint with English county, Hampshire, and is also coach of the Southern Brave franchise in England’s 100 competition, touched on the phenomenal rise and globalisation of T20 Cricket.
“It’s astounding, in 2003 we had the first T20 international … and in 2007 there was the first World Cup and in 2008 was the first year of the IPL … and this T20 has changed cricket incredibly – both good and bad.
“There’s been this explosion of T20 leagues across the world … there’s Pakistan PSL, there’s Bangladesh, there the Big Bash in Australia, there’s England 100, there’s India’s IPL, there is UAE IL Dubai League, there is the MSL in the US – and all these leagues are owned by franchises.
Making the point that the IPL has become a multi-billion-dollar industry, he highlighted Proteas’ limited over specialist, Heinrich Klaassen, as an example.
“Klaassen is going to earn R48 million this year (in the Indian Premier League) for six weeks’ work. It’s incredible what you can earn as a T20 player. The SA20 has been a big success. Hats off to (former Protea captain) Graeme Smith, he’s done a tremendous job (as SA20 commissioner).
Birrell said such has been the SA20’s phenomenal rise, that it could be argued that over the past three years the tournament has become the second-biggest T20 league in world cricket.
“I was asked to be Sunrisers coach and accepted. It was my first dealing with Indian owners and I thought, ‘I know cricket … I’m at the coalface of cricket … I know the players, I’ll talk rings around the owners and they’ll just say ‘yes’ to me … all I can say is I was very wrong.”
Birrell said on more than one occasion he had been called into the Sunrisers boardroom to explain situations that did not work out on the field of play.
“Birrell said one of the clauses in the Sunrisers contract says “the owners have the final say in every selection decision.
“I have a very good relationship with them … but I am coaching less and less and managing upwards more and more,” said Birrell.
“The Sunrisers owners are lovely people and are very nice to me but you have a guy in-between who texts me virtually 24/7 … and there’s always ‘one other thing’ but I make sure I answer all the texts and do what I am asked.
Birrell said he anticipates a time will come when players will sign up for franchises that are part of tournaments around the world. “The Mumbai Indians own four franchises around the world and players will sign up for a franchise and forgo playing for their country. I can see that happening.”
Birrell said Test cricket was under threat from the T20 version of the game but “unfortunately I don’t have answers as to how that can be resolved”.
“I can only hope and implore that club cricket continues. We have something special here … cricket is part of us in the Eastern Cape has something special here (Pineapple Cricket).
“I congratulate people like Peter Amm, Dave Duncan, Justin Stirk, Wally Biggs and Ross Purdon and others before them, for putting in those hard yards. “
Spotted among the crowd was former Proteas spinner Pat Symcox who took time to chat with members of the audience about cricketing and other matters.
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, March 13, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays
