CL T20 could have additional Caribbean flavour

Dean Kino, head of business and legal affairs for the Champions League Twenty20, has intimated that a second team from the Caribbean may participate in the second edition of the tournament. Speaking to the Caribbean Media Corporation Kino said the success and popularity garnered by Trinidad & Tobago this year had prompted consideration of further Caribbean flavour for 2010's tournament, the destination of which would be decided at an upcoming governing council meeting.

"T&T brought great value in terms of their cricketing skills, performances, the terrific spirit in which they played the game and the many talented cricketers on display, who had not been seen outside the Caribbean before," he told CMC, adding that the governing council had gotten in touch with the West Indies Cricket Board.

"They have been told that all participating countries must host a domestic tournament, and do so early to mid-2010, in order to be considered for inclusion in the event, and the dates have to be confirmed soon," said Kino. "The defending champions will not be allowed to return to the competition automatically, all teams must re-qualify."

As for the country to host the second edition, Kino said: "We are yet to decide on a venue but what I can say is that the tournament in 2010 will be played around mid-September."

In the inaugural edition of the Champions League, held in India in October, T&T not only won Indian hearts with their distinctive brand of cricket but also brought alive the tournament which at its halfway stage was flickering once the hopes of the IPL teams had been extinguished. They won all their games but lost in the final to New South Wales.