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Champions Twenty20 League 2010
English teams still in fray for Champions League
Nagraj Gollapudi and Osman Samiuddin
February 20, 2010
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News : Twenty20 tournaments will benefit English cricket - Vaughan News : Modi asks ECB for 'minor adjustment' Ian Chappell : Why we need a truly global Champions League Series/Tournaments:
Champions League Twenty20
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The Champions League Twenty20 has not ruled out the participation of teams from England but will stick to its schedule of September 10-26, Lalit Modi, the tournament commissioner has said. Modi told Cricinfo that English teams were still in the fray and that N Srinivasan, a member of the league's governing council and BCCI secretary, was in talks with the ECB on the issue.
The participation of teams from England had been put in doubt after it emerged that the schedule, announced last week, would clash with crucial fixtures at the end of the English season. England will be playing Pakistan in an ODI series at the time, the final two rounds of the County Championship will be on as well as the semi-finals and final of the ECB40 competition.
Sussex and Somerset took part in the inaugural tournament last year in India, but further English participation this season was already in doubt after Lalit Modi, the league commissioner, said only days ago on his Twitter feed that two invites had been sent to the ECB, though the board maintained the offer wasn't official. Cricinfo now understands that the ECB has failed to accept the invitation within the stipulated deadline, though Modi's statement implies this will not be an issue. The final decision could be taken at the body's governing council meeting in March.
The ECB has so far declined to comment on this.
Though the dates for this season's edition have been announced the number and identity of participating teams has yet to be finalised, despite press releases from Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Champions League itself stating that, like last season, 12 teams will take part from seven full member countries, including England; CSA also announced that they would be hosting the tournament this year, a statement immediately refuted by Modi.
Modi and other league officials insist that the final number of teams and their identity has yet to be confirmed. There might be more than 12 teams - one Champions League official told Cricinfo "at least 12 teams will play." There could also be a slight change to the schedule, depending on the teams and the shape of the tournament, though this will be announced in March.
The uncertainty over English participation keeps the door open for a Pakistani team to feature in the lucrative league, an issue that might become less complicated should the tournament be held outside India. Pakistan and Bangladesh are the only two Test-playing countries with no presence in the tournament. The PCB had a representative - the Sialkot Stallions - in the very first edition of the tournament, which was cancelled in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008.
As ties worsened between India and Pakistan and their cricket boards in the aftermath, the PCB wasn't eventually extended an invitation to the first tournament.
Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at Cricinfo. Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo
Feeds: Nagraj Gollapudi
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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Rahul-Indian, even if the Champions League does go ahead on the dates that Modi says, and even if the ECB move their entire domestic season to fit in with Modi's plans, England's and Pakistan's top players will still be unavailable because they'll be taking part in the England v Pakistan ODI series. The only arrogance I can see here is from Modi and the BCCI. They arranged a series of ODI's against Australia to take place in the window that could have been designated for the Champions League, and now expect everyone else to move their fixtures to accommodate this! If it's OK for the Champions League to clash with an England v Pakistan ODI series, then why not with an India v Australia ODI series that's not even part of the Future Tours Programme?!!! If English clubs don't take part in the Champions League, then it'll be the competition's loss, not the ECB's. They are not even stakeholders. It won't be much of a Champions League with both English and Pakistani teams excluded, will it?
Posted by stringbok on (February 21 2010, 15:55 PM GMT)I can't understand why the ECB should be thought of as arrogant. They schedule the start and end of the English season ludicrously early in order to give teams the chance to prepare for the orginally scheduled competition and then Modi kicks them in the teeth by bringing the tournament forward to accomodate an Indian ODI series. It would not take a rocket scientist to come up with a schedule that would allow the IPL and CL to flourish without harming cricket in other countries. But Modi is not interested, he is the arrogant one with no concern for the wider game of cricket. Yes it will cost the English game money but the ECB should tell Modi to stick his champions league where the sun doesn't shine.
Posted by johnnypedals on (February 21 2010, 11:14 AM GMT)Yes, very insightful Rahul-Indian. The way the BCCI/Modi are going there won't be a game worth the name to govern. Utter hubris.
Posted by Naren on (February 21 2010, 05:08 AM GMT)Not sure who is arrogant here. Modi is more arrogant than anybody else out there. There is no need to show of power. You can be humble and show the way to others.
Posted by NedB-H on (February 21 2010, 03:54 AM GMT)Modi needs to stop conducting his business affairs so casually - releasing details on Twitter feeds and being so vague about key issues is unprofessional. And he's started doing it with the IPL as well as the Champions League. He definitely has all the power for now, but that doesn't mean he can do what he likes. If he doesn't keep a firm control of things, he leaves the door open for anyone else to come along, manage things more efficiently and usurp his position. Just ask Dalmiya.
Posted by Victorian-Roo on (February 21 2010, 01:42 AM GMT)Hahaha....arrogant ECB is gonna suffer big time. I'd agree with one thing though that Lalit Modi has a habit of implying things on others. His soul doesn't get satisfied unless he does so. CSA announced that they were sure to conduct the tournament only to find out later that Modi had denied such developments. Modi likes to show who's the boss everytime. Though there are 3 governing councils in CL board. But all know who calls the shots. Not bothered much if Pakistan don't get invited. But ECB is sure to suffer. They still can't take it that they aren't ruling anymore.
Posted by Omarrz on (February 20 2010, 20:44 PM GMT)are they inviting a team from Pakistan or not?