Ten teams for 2010 Champions League

The 2010 Champions League Twenty20 will be contested by ten teams, as opposed to the 12 that participated in the inaugural edition in 2009, after the ECB said its domestic sides could not compete because the competition clashed with the end of the English domestic season. The tournament will feature 23 matches (the same number as 2009), with the format, schedule and venues to be decided in the coming weeks.

Nine of the ten teams for the tournament in South Africa, scheduled between September 10 and 26, are confirmed. The West Indian representative will be known once their domestic Twenty20 competition ends in July. Trinidad & Tobago represented the Caribbean in 2009 and reached the final, which they lost to New South Wales. There is no team from Pakistan because PCB chairman Ijaz Butt ruled out a participant following this year's IPL auction, where no Pakistan players attracted any bids.

The teams that have already qualified for the 2010 CLT20 are: Chennai Super Kings (India), Mumbai Indians (India), Royal Challengers Bangalore (India), Victorian Bushrangers (Australia), South Australian Redbacks (Australia), Warriors (South Africa), Highveld Lions (South Africa), Central Stags (New Zealand) and Wayamba Elevens (Sri Lanka).

"The fact that only a third of last year's field have re-qualified to play for the US$2.5 million first prize demonstrates the evenness of Twenty20 competitions around the world and the desperation of teams to compete at the world's most prestigious domestic event," N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, said. "There is no doubt that the Champions League Twenty20 has improved the quality of domestic Twenty20 cricket around the world and motivated teams in all countries to strive for a coveted place at the tournament."

James Sutherland, chief executive of Cricket Australia, said one of the most satisfying aspects of the tournament was the "development opportunities for non-capped players", while Cricket South Africa head, Gerald Majola, said staging the tournament would "reinforce South Africa's reputation as an ideal host for international sporting events".