Friday, December 12, 2008

Champions League cricket scrapped

Shaun Udal and Vinny Codrington
Codrington (right) is focusing on qualifying next year

Cricket's inaugural Champions League Twenty20 in India has been postponed.

The competition would have run from 3 to 10 December, but November's Mumbai attacks forced a rethink and it will now be staged in October 2009.

Eight teams from five countries, including England's Middlesex, were scheduled to take part.

It was initially to take place from 29 September to 8 October but was moved to December because of its close proximity to the cancelled Champions Trophy.

"The inaugural edition of the Champions League Twenty20 will now be held in India in October 2009," said the event's chairman Lalit Modi.

We had a unique opportunity this year - what we have to do is think it will be a unique opportunity next year now and try to focus on making sure we are there then

Vinny Codrington

"The governing council, comprising the founder board members, took this collective decision after taking into account all aspects."

As well as Middlesex, Nashua Titans and Nashua Dolphins were to take part from South Africa while Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings were India's participants.

Victoria Bushrangers and Western Australia Warriors were due to represent Australia with Pakistan's Sialkot Stallions completing the eight-team line-up.

Middlesex chief executive Vinny Codrington was disappointed but not entirely surprised to hear the news.

"It is very disappointing," he said. "The lads were all still very much looking forward to it and will be very disappointed when they hear.

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"But it is not a great shock, not totally unexpected. It was clear they would have found it difficult to get a window for it."

Middlesex were hoping a slot might possibly be identified in January but Codrington accepted it would be no easy task and is already focusing on his counties attempts to qualify for next year's event, by winning the domestic competition again.

"We had a look at it and were thinking there might be a possibility of finding a window in January - but we were not confident about it," he said.

"We had a unique opportunity this year, which has now gone. But what we have to do is think it will be a unique opportunity instead next year now - we need to try to focus on making sure we are there then."

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