Champions League Clarifies Player Qualification Rules

The organisers of the Champions League Twenty20 have moved to clarify the situation regarding players who have played for two teams that have qualified for the tournament, which starts on 8th October.

If a player decides not to represent his 'home' team, then the team he represents must pay $US 200,000 to the home team, defined as the team from the country he is eligible to represent in international cricket.

Those players are as follows:

Nathan Bracken (NSW Blues*, RC Bangalore)
Brendon McCullum (Otago Volts*, NSW Blues)
Dirk Nannes (Victorian Bushrangers*, Delhi Daredevils)
David Warner (NSW Blues*, Delhi Daredevils)
Cameron White (Victorian Bushrangers*, RC Bangalore)
Andrew McDonald (Victorian Bushrangers*, Delhi Daredevils)
Herschelle Gibbs (Cape Cobras*, Deccan Chargers)
Farveez Maharoof (Wayamba*, Delhi Daredevils)
Dwayne Smith (Deccan Chargers, Sussex Sharks - no 'home' team)

* denotes home team

It has also been confirmed that players involved in the Indian Cricket League are not eligible to play unless they severed their links with the unofficial league before 31st May.

Sussex's Murray Goodwin will therefore not be available to play as he had not ended his involvement with the league by that date.

"These qualification rules ensure that players will have a choice, subject to existing contracts, of who they represent in the Airtel CLT20. The US$200,000 compensation paid to 'home' teams will create significant interest in the lead-up to the squad announcements," Dean Kino, a member of the league's governing council said.

"Once a team names its initial squad, CLT20 will assess which players have been listed for two or more teams. Players who have been nominated by multiple teams will then be contacted by CLT20 to nominate their chosen team.

"Players will then be given 24 hours to determine which team they wish to represent."

Lalit Modi, Chairman, Champions League Twenty20 Governing Council, added:

"The ability of players to qualify for multiple teams adds another revolutionary element to the Airtel Champions Twenty20 League. A number of players will face a tough decision over the coming days as to which team they will represent in the inaugural tournament in October.

"In addition to the US$ 6 million in prize money, each team is guaranteed a US$500,000 participation fee. This means that even those teams who finish in ninth to 12th place at the Airtel CLT20 will earn US$600,000, while the winners will receive more than US$3million."

Champions League T20 2009 tickets

Airtel Champions League Twenty20 today announced the sale of online tickets for the inaugural edition of the tournament scheduled to commence on October 8 in India.

“Cricket fans eagerly awaiting this true tournament of champions can now avail of tickets on www.clt20.com – the league’s official online destination, or visit www.clt20tickets.com,” said an official release issued Monday.

Tickets for the inaugural day face-off between IPL Season 2009 runners-up, Bangalore Royal Challengers and the South African Cape Cobras in Bengaluru on October 8, 2009 are priced attractively. They cost between Rs. 200 and Rs. 750 and are inclusive of the opening ceremony. Single match day tickets in Bengaluru are priced lower, starting at Rs. 100 and going up to Rs. 500, with the double headers, or two-match days, on October 12 and 17, priced between Rs. 200 and Rs. 700.

Tickets for the prestigious “T” Stand at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, though, will retail at a slight premium. Tickets for the opening day and double headers are priced at Rs. 1500, while single match day tickets are priced at Rs. 1000.

Tickets in Delhi, for all double headers, are priced attractively, ranging from Rs 400 (for the East and West stands) to Rs. 1500 (for the South East Hill stand), while single match day tickets will cost fans between Rs. 250 and Rs.1000.

Tickets for Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium have been priced between Rs. 400 and Rs. 2000 for double headers and between Rs. 500 and Rs. 1500 for single match tickets. Tickets for the South Ground Floor have been priced at a marginal premium at Rs. 2000 for single match days and Rs. 3000 for double headers.

Lalit Modi, Chairman, Champions League Twenty20 said, “We are very happy to announce the sale of online tickets at www.clt20.com and look forward to the support of cricket fans across India and around the world to what is undoubtedly a true tournament of champions. This congregation of some of the world’s best players, playing for the world’s best domestic teams – makes for a non-stop cricket carnival. The attractive ticket-pricing should be a huge impetus for fans to come and see some of the finest cricketing talents in the world display their prowess on the field.”

Tickets for the first semi-final at Delhi have been priced between Rs. 400 and Rs. 1500, with the first floor Southern Stand priced at Rs. 6000. Tickets for the second semi-final and grand final at Hyderabad are on sale - they have been priced between Rs. 250 and Rs. 2000, with the ground floor on the South Stand priced at Rs. 3000. Tickets for the second semi-final in Delhi will be available shortly.

Airtel CLT20 has also announced special hospitality packages for corporates at all the three venues. The Corporate Hospitality packages will include five-star catering, a complimentary spirits and beverages service, limited parking and exclusive Airtel Champions League Twenty20 memorabilia. Corporate Hospitality packages in Bengaluru will range from USD 15300 for a box of 15 seats for the entire season, going up to USD 51000 for a box of 50 seats.

Similarly, hospitality packages for the new club house corporate boxes in Delhi will range from USD 25700 for a box of 21 seats, to USD 39183 for a corporate box of 32 seats for the entire season. Corporate hospitality packages for the North Block at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium at Hyderabad have been priced at USD 30612 for a box of 25 seats, while the South Block corporate boxes at the ground level have been priced at USD 20408 for 25 seats. The corporate boxes at the second level of the South Block have been priced at USD 40816 for a box of 25 seats.

Format of the tournament

The teams will be divided into four groups of three each and will initially play each other on a league basis. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the second stage and four teams from the second stage will make it to the semi finals. A total of 23 matches will be played over a 16-day period in the inaugural edition of CLT20.

Champions League Venues

Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

The M. Chinnaswamy stadium, formerly known as the Karnataka State Cricket Association stadium (KSCA), is named after the visionary cricket administrator and former president of the Indian Board - M Chinnaswamy. Located right in the heart of Bengaluru, at a stone’s throw from the bustling M G Road, the stadium is both accessible and spectacular. The ground made its international debut in 1974-75, hosting the first Test of the series between India and West Indies.

Since then, the stadium has witnessed the unfolding of many historic moments like Viv Richards' Test debut in 1974 -75; Gavaskar’s epic 96-run innings in the final Test of the 1987 series against arch-rivals Pakistan; and, more recently, Ajay Jadeja’s blitzkrieg against Pakistan in the 1996 World Cup quarter-finals. The Chinnaswamy always has a carnival feel to it, irrespective of the home side’s fortunes - the ground offers the spectator a great viewing experience.

It is the home ground of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

KEY STATS

• Established 1969
• Named after M Chinnaswamy, former BCCI president
• Floodlights: Four towers
• End names Pavilion End, BEML End
• Home team Royal Challengers Bangalore (India)
• First ODI India v Sri Lanka - Sep 26, 1982
• Last ODI India v England - Nov 23, 2008

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

Also, or formerly, known as Visaka International Cricket Stadium Ground, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is the principal cricket ground in Hyderabad, India and is the home ground of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). It is located in Uppal, an eastern suburb of the city. It can hold up to 40,000 spectators presently and extends across 16 acres (65,000 m2) of land. The previous capacity was 55,000 - it was reduced to 40,000 for the Indian Premier League matches. The ends are named Pavilion End and North End.

KEY STATS

• Established 2004
• Named after Late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India
• Floodlights: Six towers, completed April 7, 2008
• End names Pavilion End, North End
• Home team Deccan Chargers (India)
• First ODI India v South Africa - Nov 16, 2005
• Last ODI India v Australia - Oct 5, 2007

Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

Dynastic histories converge at the Feroz Shah Kotla cricket ground. Named after Feroz Shah Tughlaq of the Tughlaq dynasty from the 14th century, the stadium stands tall at Delhi’s bustling Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg named after the 19th century Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Established in 1883, the Kotla was formerly known as the Willingdon Pavilion in the imperial days of the British Raj. The recently renovated stadium offers the spectator a superb viewing experience. The ground is currently patronised by the Delhi District Cricket Association. The Feroz Shah Kotla is home to the Delhi Daredevils, but with Anil Kumble having completed his famous ten-wicket haul in a single innings against Pakistan here in 1999, it is also a favourite of the Bangalore Royal Challengers skipper.

KEY STATS

• Established 1883
• Named after Sultan Ferozshah Tuglaq
• Floodlights: Four towers
• End names Pavilion End, Stadium End
• Home team Delhi Daredevils (India)
• First ODI India v Sri Lanka - Sep 15, 1982
• Last ODI India v England - Dec 2, 2008

Champions League Twenty20 Teams

Deccan Chargers

Adam Gilchrist (c), VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Andrew Symonds, Fidel Edwards, Scott Styris, Chaminda Vaas, RP Singh, Ryan Harris, Pragyan Ojha, Y Venugopal Rao, T Suman, Azhar Bilakhia, Harmeet Singh, SM Shoaib.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Anil Kumble (c), Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa, Jacques Kallis, Ross Taylor, Dale Steyn, Manish Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Jesse Ryder, Roelof Van Der Merwe, Mark Boucher, Vinay Kumar, Virat Kohli, Akhil Balachandra, Rajesh Bishoni.

Delhi Daredevils

Virender Sehwag (c), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir, Dirk Nannes, Dinesh Karthik, Daniel Vettori, Ashish Nehra, Amit Mishra, AB DeVilliers, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Pradeep Sangwan, Aavishkar Salvi, Rajat Bhatia, Mithun Manhas

Somerset Sabres

Justin Langer (c), Marcus Trescothick, Zander de Bruyn, Omari Banks, James Hildreth, Craig Kieswetter, Pete Trego, Arul Suppiah, Alfonso Thomas, Max Waller, Charl Willoughby, Wes Durston, Mark Turner, Jos Buttler, Ben Philips.

Diamond Eagles

Boeta Dippenaar (c), Dillion du Preez, Morne van Wyk, Mthandeki Tshabalala, Adrian McLaren, Ryan McLaren, Victor Mpitsang, Ryan Bailey, Jandre Coetzee, Cornelis De Villiers, Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Alan Kruger, Rilee Rossouw, Shadley van Schalkwyk

Sussex Sharks

Michael Yardy (c), Luke Wright, Piyush Chawla, Dwayne Smith, Edmund Joyce, Joe Gatting, Robin Martin-Jenkins, William Beer, Andrew Hodd, Christopher Nash, Ben Brown, Rory Hamilton-Brown, Mohmmed Yasir Arafat, Chad Keegan, James Kirtley

Wayamba

Jehan Mubarak (c), Mahela Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Farveez Maharoof, Kaushlya Lokuarachchi, Jeevantha Kulathunga, Mahela Udawatta, Thisara Perera, Sameera Soysa, Shalika Karunanayake, Isura Udana, Ishara Amerasinghe, Chanka Welagedera, Michael Vandort.

Cape Cobras

Graeme Smith (c), Hershelle Gibbs, J P Duminy, Justin Ontong, Charl Langeveldt, Claude Henderson, Monde Zondeki, Vernon Philander, Henry Davids, Derek Brand, Francois Plaatjies, Ryan Canning, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Sybrand Engelbrecht.

Otago Volts

Craig Cumming (c), Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Aaron Redmond, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Greg Todd, Hamish Rutherford, Derek de Boorder, Nick Baird, Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner, Mattew Harvie, James McMillan.

NSW Blues

Simon Katich (c), Phillip Hughes, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Moises Henriques, Nathan Hauritz, Daniel Smith, Doug Bollinger, Stephen O'Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Steven Smith, Aaron Bird, Dominic Thornely, David Warner.

Victorian Bushrangers

Cameron White (c), Bradley Hodge, Peter Siddle, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Jon Holland, Clinton McKay, Robert Quiney, Matthew Wade, Aiden Blizzard, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Damien Wright, Bryce McGain.

Trinidad and Tobago

Daren Ganga (c), Sherwin Ganga, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl Simmons, Dave Mohammed, Keiron Pollard, William Perkins, Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Navin Stewart, Sunil Narine, Adrian Barath.