Hussey to play for Chennai in Champions League

Michael Hussey has chosen to play for his IPL team Chennai Super Kings instead of his Australian state side Western Australia in the upcoming Champions Twenty20 League in December. Hussey's name was missing from Western Australia's 15-man squad, which includes other IPL participants Shaun Marsh, Luke Pomersbach and Luke Ronchi, whose franchises did not qualify for the Champions League.

Chennai are expected to pay the Warriors a compensation for Hussey. Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, recently said that players with dual loyalties could take a call on the team they wanted to represent. "If Hussey plays for Chennai Super Kings, the Champions League governing council will pay US$200,000 to his Australian club for releasing him," Modi said.

Marsh was last season's top scorer for Western Australia as well as his IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab. Arron Crawford, a left-arm fast-medium bowler who won a full contract with the state this year, is also part of the squad along with the right-arm fast bowler Steve Magoffin and the allrounder Matt Johnston - the three were not part of the Warriors' KFC Twenty20 campaign last season.

They replace Danny McLauchlan, Sean Ervine and the retired Mathew Inness in the squad. Mitchell Johnson, the Test fast bowler who moved to Western Australia this season, was ineligible for selection because he was contracted with Queensland last year. Tom Moody, the Western Australia coach, was optimistic about his team's chances in the Champions League because many of the squad members have played in India before.

"[Players have been to India] whether that be on national duty, in the Indian Premier League, or on our pre-season tours, which we have undertaken with the support of the University of Western Australia in recent seasons," Moody said. "It is going to be a tremendous opportunity for all of the players and management, and everyone involved is very excited about representing Western Australia on a global stage."

Western Australia squad Marcus North (capt), Adam Voges, David Bandy, Arron Crawford, Liam Davis, Brett Dorey, Theo Doropoulos, Ben Edmondson, Aaron Heal, Matt Johnston, Trent Kelly, Steve Magoffin, Shaun Marsh, Luke Pomersbach, Luke Ronchi (wk).