Superstars sign on for new SA T20 comp

South Africa has become the latest cricket nation to revamp their domestic Twenty20 tournament, with eight new teams set to be involved in a competition beginning in November.

T20 superstars Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen, and England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan will join Jason Roy, Lasith Malinga, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard as the marquee men for the inaugural tournament, with the eight players to be distributed among the new franchises via a draft system.

Each team – the identities of which have yet to be formulated – will have 17 players on their roster, four of whom will be permitted to be overseas players.

Prospective team owners have until April 28 to submit their proposals to Cricket South Africa.

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"We are thrilled by the calibre of the top eight international players we have lined up to participate in our new T20 League," said CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat.

"They are all stars in their own right and will add great value to the franchise teams they will represent.

"This top quality list of players will set a high standard for our tournament."

Lorgat also said that CSA had been delighted by the bids already received for potential franchises.

"We are thrilled with the responses we are receiving from prospective team owners," he said. "No doubt this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for both bidder and city," CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

"While the level of private investment we expect will be new to South African sport, we are also very interested in the level of expertise that owners will bring to all levels of the game in South Africa."

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McCullum, who has quickly made the transition from international cricket to T20 gun for hire since his retirement from the Black Caps, said he was excited to take part in the new tournament.

 "I very much enjoy the conditions in South Africa and it was an easy decision to make myself available for this tournament," he said.

"I enjoy the way South Africans play the game and the way their fans interact with the players as well."

Sought-after venues in Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg are set to go to the highest bidders, while the final is currently scheduled to be played on December 16.