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Mumbai: The Champions League Twenty20 Governing Council (CLT20) has today confirmed that the 2010 Airtel Champions League Twenty20 will feature 10 of the premier domestic Twenty20 teams in the world.
Teams from India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies will compete for domestic Twenty20 cricket’s ultimate prize from 10-26 September in South Africa.
CLT20 will once again bring a host of world cricket’s biggest and most exciting names – Tendulkar, Dhoni, Jayawardene, Steyn, Dravid, Tait, Duminy, Mendis, Kumble, Hayden, Taylor, Muralidaran, Pollard, Harbhajan, Oram, Malinga, Bollinger, Bravo, Afridi, Hussey, Jayasuriya, Bollinger – to the living rooms of fans around the world.
More than 75 percent of the participating players are expected to be the international stars of the game, making the tournament a true contest between the best of the best.
Of the nine teams already qualified, just three will be returning from the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2009 - Royal Challengers Bangalore (India), Victorian Bushrangers (Australia) and Wayamba Elevens (Sri Lanka).
Only one place remains to be filled, with the West Indies’ representative to be confirmed in late July. Trinidad & Tobago represented the Caribbean in 2009 and set the tournament alight with its brilliant run through to the final.
N Srinivasan, Secretary, BCCI, said: "The fact that only a third of last year’s field have re-qualified to play for the US$2.5 million first prize demonstrates the evenness of Twenty20 competitions around the world and the desperation of teams to compete at the world’s most prestigious domestic event."
"There is no doubt that the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 has improved the quality of domestic Twenty20 cricket around the world and motivated teams in all countries to strive for a coveted place at the tournament," he added.
James Sutherland, Cricket Australia CEO, said: "While the participation of international players is an obvious highlight, CLT20’s ability to provide development opportunities for non-capped players is one of the most satisfying aspects of the tournament. The chance for these players to display their skills on the world stage and further their claims for national selection is a source of great pride for Cricket Australia and the other founding members.
"The Airtel Champions League Twenty20 will reinforce South Africa’s reputation as an ideal host for international sporting events. The CLT20 concept has also shown the potential for Twenty20 cricket to attract new, ever-increasing fans to the game and the associated benefits have subsequently flowed to domestic cricket around the globe," said Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa CEO.
The 2010 Airtel Champions League Twenty20 will feature 23 matches (the same number as 2009), with the tournament format, match schedule and venues to be decided in the coming weeks.
2010 Airtel Champions League Twenty20 – Competing Teams
