 Defending champions New South Wales have not qualified for the 2010 event |
The chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) says the lack of English teams in the Champions League Twenty20 will "diminish" it. PCA chief Angus Porter wants the date of the tournament fixed to ensure that they can take part in the future. English counties are not in this year's event in September because it clashes with the end of the domestic season. "The Champions League looks as if it is here to stay and it ought to have an agreed slot," Porter told BBC Sport. "Not having English teams there diminishes the competition. A number of counties have invested a lot in Twenty20. "What we think is that a reasonably fixed window is fixed so that English clubs can take part. "Players do want to play in the Champions League Twenty20 if at all possible." In February the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) called on organisers of this year's tournament, being held in South Africa from 10-26 September, to reconsider the timing of the competition.  | 606: DEBATE |
The Champions League, which brings together the top teams from several countries' domestic Twenty20 competitions, was founded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa. It was first announced in June 2008, but that year's inaugural event was cancelled following terror attacks in Mumbai. Teams then had to re-qualify for last year's tournament, which was held in India in October 2009 and involved 12 teams including English counties Sussex and Somerset, who qualified via the domestic Twenty20 Cup. However, this year's Champions League clashes with the final two rounds of County Championship fixtures and the semi-finals and final of the new Clydesdale Bank 40-over league. In addition, England host Pakistan in a five-match one-day international series from 10-22 September. "There have been discussions between the ECB and the Champions League organisers for some months and it has proved impossible to find a window that works," said Porter. Organisers of this year's competition announced on Monday that 10 teams will take part in the 2010 event - as in 2009, there will be three Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, two Australian teams, two from South Africa and one each from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies. | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2010 TEAMS Central Districts (New Zealand) Chennai Super Kings (India) Highveld Lions (South Africa) Mumbai Indians (India) Royal Challengers Bangalore (India) South Australia (Australia) Victoria (Australia) Warriors (South Africa) Wayamba (Sri Lanka) West Indies' domestic Twenty20 champions |
Royal Challengers Bangalore (India), Victoria (Australia) and Wayamba (Sri Lanka) are the only teams from 2009 to re-qualify for 2010, although the West Indian representative is yet to be determined. They will be joined by Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians (both India), South Australia (Australia), Warriors and Highveld Lions (both South Africa) and Central Districts (New Zealand). Of the England players with IPL teams taking part, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan of Bangalore are likely to be involved in the ODI series against Pakistan. Both are centrally contracted to the ECB, who would then decide whether they could play in the final on 22 September - four days after the Pakistan series ends - if Bangalore qualify. England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who is not centrally contracted, is on Chennai's roster but has not played since England won the Ashes last September because of injury and did not take part in this year's IPL. However, Graham Napier could feature for Central Districts, who he helped to New Zealand's domestic Twenty20 title, as his county side Essex's season finishes on 10 September unless they are involved in the CB40 semi-finals or final. All-rounder Napier is also on Mumbai's roster, although he only played in one IPL match in 2009 and none in 2010. New South Wales of Australia won last year's Champions League, beating Trinidad & Tobago in the final.
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