Victoria angry at Twenty20 decision

Victoria have been left fuming by Cricket Australia's decision not to allow their star batsmen Cameron White and David Hussey to play in Wednesday's Twenty20 preliminary final against Queensland. The winner of the match is guaranteed a place at the multi-million dollar Champions League in India in October but neither side will have their Australian one-day representatives available.

The Bushrangers entered this summer having been beaten only once in a Twenty20 match and they had won the domestic tournament every year since its inception. They qualified for the Champions League last year but when it was postponed due to the terror attacks in Mumbai they were forced to earn their spot again by reaching the final of the Big Bash this month.

That has become more difficult with a pair of defeats from their past three games and they must beat the Bulls at the Gabba on Wednesday to get to Saturday's final against New South Wales in Sydney. Cricket Victoria's chief executive Tony Dodemaide said he could not understand Cricket Australia's cotton-wool approach given the importance of the match.

"I was hoping you might be able to explain," Dodemaide told the Herald Sun. "We would have thought there might have been some consideration, given the players who are involved. They were really keen to play. It would have given state cricket a real boost, I would have thought."

Victoria will be without their captain White, a renowned Twenty20 performer, and Hussey, who is second only to Brad Hodge on the competition's all-time run-scoring list. The men were part of Australia's side for the first two one-day internationals against South Africa but with the Twenty20 game coming during a four-day break between ODIs, Dodemaide said it was frustrating that Cricket Australia had stopped the two from playing.

"It's disappointing for Victorian supporters in what is really the most significant game of the season," he said. "If it were Ricky Ponting or Peter Siddle, who have been through a long, hard Test series you would understand, but the players involved haven't had that and by my reckoning there are only nine playing days for Australia in the next month."

Queensland have also been hit by the ruling with their allrounder James Hopes unavailable for selection, although their fast bowler Ryan Harris will play having been cut from the ODI squad. It is Victoria who will feel most aggrieved by the decision, considering their recent dominance of the format and the importance of White and Hussey.

"Given the significance of the Champions Trophy tournament that awaits the two finalists and what we've achieved in this competition over the past three years, this is very disappointing," Dodemaide said. "But we'll move on, go up there with a view to winning the game and then the final."

Hodge will lead the side in the absence of the captain and vice-captain. He is in charge of an unchanged 12 from the side that lost to New South Wales on the weekend.

"The clash with the Bulls can't come soon enough," Hodge said. "We're all pumped to have another crack at getting through to the final and we're desperate to play our best cricket and prove we've got what it takes to challenge for another title."

Victoria squad Brad Hodge (capt), Aiden Blizzard, Rob Quiney, Aaron Finch, Andrew McDonald, Matthew Wade, Adam Crosthwaite (wk), Damien Wright, Shane Harwood, Jon Holland, Bryce McGain, Dirk Nannes.

Queensland squad Chris Simpson (capt), Wade Townsend, Ryan Broad, Lee Carseldine, Nathan Reardon, Glen Batticciotto, Craig Philipson, Chris Hartley (wk), Ryan Harris, Nathan Rimmington, Ben Cutting, Alister McDermott, Ben Laughlin.