Road Safety World Series: South Africa Legends file formal notice over the non-payment in 2nd season

Five months since the end of the second edition of the Road Safety World Series (RSWS), its organisers are yet to pay the South African Legends team around $180,000 (Rs 1.5 crore).

The team – including the likes of Jonty Rhodes, Vernon Philander, Johan Botha, Alviro Petersen and Jacques Rudolph – has sent a formal notice to organisers Majestic Legends Sports Pvt Ltd and PMG organisations.

“This statement serves as formal notice that the Majestic Legends Sports Pvt Ltd and PMG organisations failed to fulfil their financial obligations outlined in the contracts signed by the South African Legends players for Season 2 of the Road Safety World Series,” read the statement.

The RSWS is supported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Ministry of Information and Technology and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India.

The organisers are yet to pay an approximate amount of Rs 1.5 crore to the South African Legends.

“Despite multiple attempts to resolve the issue, the collective amount of roughly $180,000 US Dollars remains outstanding.

“Pursuant to the terms of the agreement and subsequent Letter of Intent, we are left with no choice but to initiate a public statement due to non-payment on your behalf. We, the players, demand immediate payment in full to avoid further legal proceedings.”

All 15 members of the squad have



signed the statement.

“There are a lot of stakeholders & staff still waiting to get paid,” a member of the South African Legends team told this newspaper.

Meanwhile, an official of RSWS, on condition of anonymity, told The Indian Express, “Since a lot of matches were washed out and not a single ball was bowled, the sponsors don’t pay you for the match. The players also don’t get their full match fees. We have not received a single penny from the washed-out games from sponsors.

“We had a long discussion with Jonty (Rhodes), the other players were not involved in the discussion and we tried to make him understand that the deduction of match fees was because the matches were completely washed off. But we were not able to reach an amicable solution. We are still in discussion with Jonty but the other players are not happy, as they want the full payment, and we are asking them for exemptions.”

South Africa Legends’ matches against England Legends and Australia Legends were abandoned without a single ball being bowled.

The Sachin Tendulkar-led India Legends defeated Sri Lanka Legends by 61 runs to win the title.

The South African Legends Team of 2022: Alan Dawson, Alviro Petersen, Andrew Puttick, Eddie Leie, Garnet Kruger, Lloyd Norris-Jones, Morne Van Wyk, Thandi Tshabalala, Vernon Philander, Zander De Bruyn, Henry Davids, Jacques, Rudolph, Johan Botha, Johan van der Wath, Jonty Rhodes.