Udal shocked at Champions League decision

Shaun Udal, the Middlesex captain, has said the decision to cancel the Champions Twenty20 League was a shock, and has criticised the lack of communication from the tournament organisers.

"Obviously, we are really disappointed. The communication lines have not been very good," he told Sky Sports. "It is a shock. It's come as a really big surprise - a bolt out of the blue. Financially for the club, it was a huge carrot that we were going to go out there and play in this tournament.

"It would have been brilliant financially if we had done well. But it was a bonus, not something we had budgeted for. From both a potentially financial and a cricket point of view, it is hugely disappointing."

The BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) met via a teleconference on Friday and took the decision to cancel the event "after considering all aspects, including the international calendar and the domestic schedules of the participating teams".

It was hoped the tournament might be squeezed in during the first few weeks of 2009 but the home and away series between Australia and South Africa, and the domestic Twenty20 fixtures of those countries, put paid to that idea. It is now scheduled to be held in October 2009.

Middlesex, the Twenty20 Cup champions, were due to face the domestic winners from Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan.