Brevis' R16.5m price tag is a gamechanger for SA cricket

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

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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.