JOHANNESBURG — Players contracted to the aborted T20 Global League will be compensated, Cricket South Africa announced on Tuesday, following negotiations with the South African Cricketers' Association.

Although figures were not revealed in a statement issued by CSA, it is reliably understood that South African players will be paid 60 percent of their contract amounts, while foreign players will get 50 percent.

The total compensation bill is expected to cost CSA about $5 million. Payment will be made in three installments between December 2017 and April 2018.

In what was a costly embarrassment for the South African controlling body, the league was cancelled in October, just over three weeks before it was due to start, to avoid heavy losses in the absence of a television deal and a title sponsorship.

CSA had already spent about 100 million rand ($7.5m) in setting up the league as well as committing to extensive stadium upgrades over a three-year period.

The postponement happened soon after the departure from CSA of chief executive and lead negotiator Haroon Lorgat, who had been responsible for setting up the league, which was due to feature eight city-based franchise teams, including seven with foreign owners.

Acting chief executive Thabang Moroe said the negotiations with the players' body had been amicable and in the best interests of South African cricket.

The settlement will help bridge the gap between player expectation and the disappointment of having to postpone the league, Moroe said.

This was an issue affecting 138 South African and foreign players and we are happy that we have been able to resolve it for all of them, said Tony Irish, chief executive of SACA.

The settlement is both fair and responsible and has been well received by the players.

The differential between the payments to local and foreign players is understood to be because local players are committed to playing for their franchises in a domestic T20 league currently being played, while foreign players had the opportunity to find alternative employment.

The circumstances leading to the postponement are the subject of an investigation set up by Cricket South Africa, who remain committed to staging the league in November 2018.

De Villiers, Steyn set for Test return

AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn will both have a dress rehearsal for an expected return to Test cricket when they play for a South African Invitation XI against Zimbabwe later this month.

The teams will meet in a day-night match in Paarl from Dec. 20 to 22 in Zimbabwe's only warm-up match before South Africa stages its first day-night Test, a one-off match in Port Elizabeth from Dec. 26 to 29.

Batsman De Villiers and fast bowler Steyn have both been out of Test action for more than a year. De Villiers has not played in a Test since captaining South Africa against England in January 2016, firstly because of an elbow injury and then because he decided to take a break from the five-day format.

During his extended break he gave up the captaincy, which is now held by Faf du Plessis. He has only appeared in one first-class match during the current season.

Steyn suffered a broken shoulder in a Test in Australia in November 2016 and only started playing again in November.

He has shown impressive form in four T20 matches for his franchise, the Titans, taking six wickets at an average of 13.50 and conceding only 5.78 runs an over. He has not played in a first-class match since his injury.

Two other Test players, all-rounder Chris Morris and batsman Temba Bavuma, were also included in the Invitation team, which otherwise consists of fringe franchise or second-tier first-class players. Like Steyn, Morris is returning from injury while Bavuma has been short of runs in domestic matches. — AFP