Except more glitz, glamour and excitement of T20 cricket along the lines of the IPL, what with the BCCI on Sunday approving the Champions T20
Puts English counties in a spot as only three of them are not connected with the Indian Cricket League
NEW DELHI: Except more glitz, glamour and excitement of T20 cricket along the lines of the IPL, what with the BCCI on Sunday approving the Champions T20, a world tournament set to be staged in India from September 29.
However, the event has the potential to polarize the cricket world as English counties that qualify to participate, essentially the winners and runners-up of the domestic tournament, will not be allowed to field ICL players.
Only three English counties — Somerset, Middlesex and Essex — don’t have ICL players in their line-ups. The final of the English domestic T20 competition is scheduled to be held at Rose Bowl on July 26.
IPL commissioner Lalit Modi was sure of the BCCI’s stand. “It will be sad if English counties want to field ICL players. The BCCI is clear that no ICL players will be allowed to participate in the Champions T20. Cricket Australia is formulating the rules and regulations of the tournament, but the BCCI’s participation comes with the rider that no ICL player should be part of the tournament,” Modi said.
Lancashire captain Stuart Law will be one of the many players who could be potentially affected if the BCCI sticks to its guns. The England and Wales Cricket Board has only advised the counties from fielding ICL players in the domestic T20 Cup.
With Texas-based millionaire Alan Stanford already finalizing plans for a big draw T20 series that involves the ECB and West Indies, the BCCI now has a strong challenger when it comes to hijacking the T20 agenda.
“I don’t think the Stanford venture will split the cricket world, rather they are just adding to the pie,” Modi said confidently. “In the first year it is likely to be hosted in India, while we want to take it to the Middle-East and other countries in the future,” Modi added.
Squeezed in between the Champions Trophy and Australia’s Test tour of India, the eight-day tournament will feature the top two sides from Pakistan, South Africa, India and Australia. MS Dhoni, India’s one-day skipper, who has been playing non-stop cricket, will have to devote time to the new tournament by virtue of leading IPL runners-up Chennai Super Kings.
The World Champions T20 was approved by the BCCI at its working committee meeting and the other participating countries are expected to sign on the dotted line at the ICC’s annual conference in Dubai later this month. The BCCI/IPL will be a 50 percent share-holder in the company that runs Champions T20. The tournament will be lucrative as it comes with a $10 million prize money of which $5 million will go to the winners.
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