Where does South African domestic cricket stand?

South Africa's international season took the shape of a downward spiral in which they were dethroned from the top of the Test pile and suffered another early exit at a major tournament. As they seek to rebuild, the spotlight will turn to the domestic system, which probably has the lowest profile amongst those of the top teams.

To outsiders, South Africa's set-up is something of a mystery. It is double-tiered, with six franchises competing in what is effectively an A section and 13 semi-professional provincial teams competing in a B section. Both tiers have first-class status and both play in List A and T20 competitions.

Even in the top tier, most fixtures take place completely under the radar. The first-class matches are not televised and, despite free entry, play out to empty stadiums. The one-day cup often coincides with the international season and so holds no glamour. The T20 tournament cannot count itself among the world's top leagues of its kind either: national players are seldom available, and the weak rand has made signing big names a difficulty.

My father in law is the CEO of one of the provincial teams and they definitely do not play in empty stadiums. I also frequent Newlands during matches. Most games are televised, but because of the buying power of the IPL it gets more prime time space on DSTV.

We do have international players in our domestic competition. Just think about Narine, Russel and Gayle that all played here recently. The issue with domestic cricket in South Africa is the franchise system. It should be done away with and focus should be centered on the provincial teams again.