Ricky Ponting and Brendon McCullum are likely to star in the event

Australia, South Africa and New Zealand are in discussions to set up a southern hemisphere version of the successful Twenty20 Indian Premier League.

The concept centres on an eight-team league with four franchise teams in each country by 2011.

A conference would be contested in Africa and another in Australasia, with the top teams meeting in the finals.

The timing of the tournament would complement the IPL, enabling Indian players to participate in both events.

Cricket Australia chief executive officer James Sutherland said detailed discussion with South Africa over the past year and preliminary discussions with New Zealand had shown strong interest in the concept.

The T20 game has turned cricket into a major player in the entertainment industry that fits in perfectly with the modern frenetic, colourful and glitzy way of life Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola

"Regional-level Twenty20 cricket played at the level immediately below international cricket has shown it can capture the public imagination and create new audiences for cricket.

"But as we have seen in India, it needs critical mass to generate major public excitement and the regional concept we have been charged with developing provides that critical mass."

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said the success of the inaugural IPL was an indication of the demand for regional Twenty20 competitions.

"Gathering a large number of the world's marquee players into a single competition over a compressed timeframe can capture the public imagination and create new audiences for cricket," he said.

606: DEBATE Can this rival the IPL in terms of success and popularity among players and spectators alike? David O, BBC Sport

"The challenge for the three southern hemisphere boards is to create the stage for that opportunity to be captured in a way which complements international cricket."

Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola added: "Cricket South Africa is keen to forge strong partnerships with boards around the world to ensure the continued growth of the game at various levels.

"While details of this new competition still need to be finalised, we are confident it will give cricket in South Africa a major boost, and will ultimately change the cricket landscape in our country.

"The T20 game has not only changed the way that limited overs cricket is played but has turned cricket into a major player in the entertainment industry that fits in perfectly with the modern frenetic, colourful and glitzy way of life."

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