States push for Champions League compensation

Western Australia and Victoria believe they have missed out on a minimum of A$600,000 and will ask Cricket Australia for compensation after being told they must requalify for the postponed Champions League Twenty20. Tournament officials decided on Friday to stage the event, which was cancelled due to the Mumbai terrorist attacks, in India next October.

The eight sides were in line to battle for US$6 million in prize money before the contest was called off less than a week before it was due to start. Both the Australian states admitted they had spent at least A$50,000 on taking part in the tournament and were unhappy at missing a chance for a seven-figure pay day.

Tony Dodemaide, the Victoria chief executive, said it would be "reasonable" to discuss compensation with Cricket Australia, which is one of three shareholders in the event. "There are hard costs involved, there's also opportunity costs involved," he told AAP. "On our estimates of participation fee and the minimum prize money that was going to be on offer and also a couple of sponsorships we've been able to pick up associated with the tournament, we thought it was in the region of around $600,000 that was going to be a minimum return to the association.

"And that was for losing - not going through to the second round. So to go all the way and win the tournament, which we were hoping to do, then you are getting up into the millions."

Victoria, who have been champions three years in a row, and Western Australia will have to reach the final of the domestic Twenty20 tournament over the next month to gain a spot in the 2009 Champions League. "We are unsure as to what revenue will flow through to Cricket Australia as a result of the cancellation," Graeme Wood, the Western Australia chief executive, said. "Once that is known then we'll certainly sit down as part of the cricket family and try to come to some resolution."