Cricket: ICC World Twenty20 tournament Sept 2007 in South Africa

India unveils 'champions league' - Twenty20

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced plans for a new Twenty20 tournament in October 2008.

The Champions Twenty20 League will feature two teams from India, competing against two each from England, Australia and South Africa.

And there will be a £2.5m prize fund, with £1m going to the winners.

The new competition is part of the board's answer to the breakaway Indian Cricket League, which is due to take place in October and November.

English county side Leicestershire hosted a similar, but smaller scale competition two years ago, which was won by Pakistan's Faisalabad Wolves.

The prize money on offer in India, however, is on a par with that provided by billionaire Allen Stanford for his own Stanford Twenty20 competition in the Caribbean.

The two home representatives will come from a new Indian Premier League, which will feature franchised teams.

"The new leagues will give tremendous stability to players who have devoted their entire lives to the game," said BCCI president Sharad Pawar.

Past and present India captains Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar were present at the launch in Delhi, along with former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath and ex-New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming.

Spin bowler Shane Warne is also supporting the new venture, having turned down a big-money contract offered by the ICL.

The Champions Twenty20 plan, which will see the eight sides divided into two divisions and feature 12 group games, semi-finals and a final in the space of nine days, has been welcomed by the England and Wales Cricket Board and their counterparts in Australia.

"For county, state and province players, the introduction of the T20 champions competition provides a new and exciting pinnacle," said ECB chief executive David Collier.

"It will provide teams with the opportunity to earn the title of the world club champions in a format which will be eagerly anticipated by spectators and players alike."

Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland said the competition supported their view that Twenty20 cricket's development "should be managed in a way which engages and harnesses public excitement for the format, while complementing Test and one-day international cricket".

He added: "The champions Twenty20 format will enhance rather than compromise existing domestic and international competitions round the world."

India hopes that the competition will be expanded in the future to include teams from the other Test-playing countries.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/india/6992520.stm

So pretty much every test playing nation has some kind of domestic format involving Twenty20 now with the next WC already planned for 2009.
 
I quite like that idea - it will promote the game in this country and abroad to a new generation of children. If ticket prices are kept affordable (as they have been for this tournament) then it surely is a good thing.
 
The toss has been made - Scotland won the toss, asked India to bat first, and teams have been named. But persistent rain has prevented any play so far.

Reduced overs. Twelve12 maybe? :smirk:

Edit - Both sides must bat a minimum of five overs to constitute a game but if there is a wash-out both gain one point each.
 
India v Scotland - match abandoned due to rain

Scotland's Group D World Twenty20 match against India in Durban was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of heavy rain.

Both sides picked up one point and that means Pakistan, who beat Scotland in Wednesday's Group D opener, go through to the Super Eights.

Scotland had won the toss and were going to field but rain prevented the players from taking to the field.

India will take on Pakistan on Friday in the final match in the group.
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IF Pakistan beat India then this group will be decided on who PAK have beaten the best...
 
India failed to beat Scotland.

Give it up, Indians. You're officially the worst team in the world.
 
ZIDANE said:
India v Scotland - match abandoned due to rain



IF Pakistan beat India then this group will be decided on who PAK have beaten the best...
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Come on Pakistan! Due to some of the attitudes of certain posters on here I would love it if Scotland squeaked through.
 
FlawlessThaw said:
Come on Pakistan! Due to some of the attitudes of certain posters on here I would love it if Scotland squeaked through.
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So would i, but i dont expect Scotland to go through. South Africa v England final is my prediction.
 
How can you all watch this shit?
 
Classic bottle job by English. Starting from the toss. Should have fielded, aussies would have been unsure how to play, safe or attacking? Then the openers played pathetically, atleast one needed to throw his bat around. Once Flintoff was gone, was obvious they won't be getting more than 140. Would be funny is Aussies got it in 15 or so overs and knocked english out.
 
That woman commentator doesn't stop talking. She forgets that we're watching it on TV not radio. It's getting annoying.
 
If Australia reach the target in 9.3 overs, England will be eliminated. Not going to happen.
 
Australia 136-2 (14.5 overs) bt England 135 (20 overs) by eight wickets

Australia and England qualify for the Super 8s, Zimbabwe are eliminated
 
Pakistan won the toss and chose to field.
 
Should be a decent game this one. Shame it's not for anything as they've both qualified.
 
Pathan should not have been dropped in the first place.e's one of the few genuinely talented cricketers in the country.
 
Good stuff by Pathan. India is in better position now. Pakistan need to get a move on but amazingly they are making no effort of doing so.
 
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