Champions League – A 20Twenty Cricket Feast
June 6th, 2008The efforts to organize Champions League, a knock out competition between the top two teams of the domestic T20 tournaments in various countries are well on the way. In all likeliness the tournament will be held in a 10 day window that exists in the ICC calendar between the final of the Champions trophy on September 28th and the start of the Bangalore test between India and Australia on October 9th. Most of the things are in place with Board presidents co-ordinating with each other except for the Venue which can well be UAE or India.
Popular belief says that this tournament isn’t going to be much interesting because the Indian Premier League sides will prove too much for others but this tournament could well end the same way as IPL did for those who had written out Rajasthan Royals. If the tournament as it is likely is staged in England the local players in IPL sides will have their task cut out with the ball seaming and swinging.
There are likely to be ten teams in the in the tournament, two each from India, Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan. While the teams from India, Australia and South Africa have already been decided, the tournament in England is to be played in June and in August in Pakistan.
According to details that have been shared thus far by the officials top two teams from the above mentioned countries will be taking part in the Champions League. Let us have a look at the teams which entered the finals of the T20 competition in Australia and South Africa.
Australia
In the KFC Twenty20 finals Victoria Bushrangers led by Cameroon White defeated Adam Voges led Western Australia Warriors in a high scoring affair. Both are extremely strong sides. Victoria apart from Cameroon White have Brad Hodge, David Hussey and domestic heavy weights Aiden Blizzard, Adam Crosthwaite and rookie pacer Dirk Nannes who took 4 for 23 in the finals. Warriors led by Adam Voges have Luke Ronchi, Shaun Marsh, Luke Pomersbach and Sean Ervine. Some of these were involved in IPL too but will be available to play for these Australian sides as their IPL teams didn’t manage it to the finals.
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South Africa
In the finals of the Standard Bank Pro 20 tournament held on 25 th April this year, Titans beat the Dolphins in a match dominated by the bowlers. Titans are a very powerful squad with Bodi, the Morkel brothers, de Villiers and Dale Steyn in their side. It would be interesting to see whether Albie Morkel plays for this team or for Chennai Super Kings. News goes that the IPL side have the power to choose but will have to pay the other team. Dolphins on the other hand were not considered much at the start of the tournament beat strong sides on their way to the final and have the talent in van Vuuren, Smit, Kent and Amla brothers and are led by Ahmad Amla.
Rajasthan Royals have emerged a strong side and Chennai Super Kings will be a very strong team when Hayden, Hussey and Oram join them.
Add to these the top two teams from the domestic competitions in England and Pakistan and we have oe of the best feast ahead of us.
Dr. Mohit Goyal © IPL Cricket Forum
Tags: 20Twenty, Australia, Champions league, cricket, ECB, IPL, south africa, T20Posted in Cricket News, IPL News |