With cricket's financial centre having gravitated to Asia, it was no surprise that six of the eight Twenty20 Global League franchises are foreign-owned, with India, Pakistan and Hong Kong claiming the lion's share.
The success of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), despite the tournament being held in Dubai, inspired Javed Afridi, chief executive of Haier Electronics, to push for the franchise based in Benoni that could be known as Benoni Zalmi. Afridi is the owner of Peshawar Zalmi, one of the six PSL franchises.
That local franchise interest is minimal among the eight, adds to the importance of the owners and their financial roots.
As seen with the successes of the Indian Premier League, Caribbean Premier League and the Big Bash League, Twenty20 cricket is popular, expensive but ultimately successful.
The Chris Gayles, Brendon McCullums, Lasith Malingas, Kevin Pietersens and Eoin Morgans don't come cheap and for some in this crew, T20 cricket is what they live for.
While Morgan is still England's limited- overs captain and Jason Roy still very much part of England's high-octane limited-overs future, McCullum said they are mercenaries.
The mercenaries could increase with the outcome of the impasse between the Australian Cricketers' Association and Cricket Australia before Friday's deadline.
The South African-based owners are:
Brimstone Investment Corporation Limited (Mustaq Brey) - Stellenbosch
Brimstone, with interests in Tiger Brands, Sea Harvest and other companies, have Iqbal Khan as financial director. Khan is also on the Cricket SA board.
Brey, chief executive of the company he co-founded in 1995, is a member of the Western Province Cricket Association.
The decision to pick the Stellenbosch base makes sense as it would have been tough to wrest Newlands from Shah Rukh Khan and his Kolkata Knight Riders' financial might.
Brimstone also has an 18% stake in insurance company AON. It should not come as a surprise if the Stellenbosch franchise attracts blue chip players.
BluBlood (Osman Osman) - Pretoria
With comedians Tumi Morake, Simmi Areff and Riaad Moosa on their books, BluBlood trades itself as a top-notch events company.
Osman runs the company with his wife Shaaista, and Areff was the comedian at Cricket SA's annual awards last month.
Founded in 2002, the company has an honourable track record, hosting events like the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Osman is cricket-mad and attends every match at SuperSport Park in Centurion that he can. The cricket-crazy Laudium audience also explains the choice of Pretoria as their base.
tshwakuk@sundaytimes.co.za..