NEW DELHI: Former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher believes the SA20 league has played a key role in shaping the country’s recent success at the international level by giving young players valuable exposure to high-pressure match scenarios across formats.

South Africa have enjoyed an impressive run over the past couple of years, finishing runners-up at the 2024 T20 World Cup before going on to clinch the World Test Championship and secure a historic Test series victory in India last year.

"Influence of SA20 is showing in international cricket for South Africa... 100% there is no doubt. Since we started the SA20, it's given exposure to our local players with international players, match situations," Boucher told a select media gathering during an interaction facilitated by SA20.

"We saw what happened in the IPL. As soon as the youngsters started playing with international players and learning from them in the IPL, their game just went to a different level and now the depth in Indian cricket is immense."

Boucher cited the rise of young all-rounder Corbin Bosch as a clear example to support his argument.

"Obviously not at the IPL level, but it's (SA20) still very very good. It has given exposure to the global world and it has helped our cricketers not only in T20 cricket, but in one-day and Test cricket. Look at Corbin Bosch. He had a standout SA20, and then the next thing he's playing one-day cricket and then the next thing is playing Test cricket. So yes, SA20 is 100% a game-changer which needs to happen for the game in our country," he added.

However, the 49-year-old acknowledged that SA20 is still a work in progress and has some distance to cover before it can rival the IPL and the Big Bash League in areas such as global reach and talent identification.

"The International players' rate it (SA20) high, and some of them have played in BBL and in the IPL. Obviously, as I said earlier the IPL will always be the IPL and I don't think there's any competition against the IPL.

"The Big Bash has been around for a long time. It had its ups and downs but it seems to be getting back to a good standard and now SA20 has started off well, and it's getting better. So, you know, I think that those three tournaments are probably your top three at the moment and that's not me just being biased."

Boucher said the feedback from international players who are playing in the SA20 has been excellent so far.

"It's after speaking to international players who play in these competitions around the world. So, it's largely been thanks to the IPL investors, Graeme (Smith) and his team. They're open to learning every season. So that's why I do believe it's (SA20) going to get better and bigger and, hopefully, end up in second place to the IPL," he said.

(With PTI Inputs)