Sean Morris, the former Hampshire batsman and chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, has been appointed CEO of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stars franchise in South Africa's T20 Global League.
This will be Morris' second stint as a CEO of a T20 league franchise after a two-year tenure with Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
Morris, who played first-class cricket for Hampshire between 1992 and 1996, said the big draw for him at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stars was a chance to work alongside Mark Boucher, the former South Africa wicketkeeper, and Heath Streak, the current Zimbabwe coach. While Boucher is the head coach of the Port Elizabeth franchise, Streak will serve as the bowling coach.
"The thing that particularly attracted me was the appointment as coach of Mark Boucher, whom I know through a number of very close friends," said Morris. "Working with Mark will be very interesting for me, while Heath Streak is a former team-mate of mine and we worked together only 18 months ago. So when you look at the cricket management team, I immediately knew that's grade A - sorted."
Morris aims to establish a fan base for the franchise in the inaugural edition of the league and hopes the tournament can help cricket develop further in the Nelson Mandela Bay region.
"The model is built on the media and sponsorship, but you are only as valuable as your fan base," he said. "So, as an investor, your top priority is to grow your fan-base.
"It's more than just rocking up for seven games of cricket. If we get this right, we can get into a position where we can help youngsters, help cricket and get the community behind the team."