Champions League

2009 Champions League schedule announced

The 2009 edition of the Champions Twenty20 League will take place next year between September 25 and October 11, and will feature 12 teams, four more than the eight this year in the first edition to be held between December 3-10, 2008.

The dates were announced in a release issued by the three founding members - the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa. The 2009 Champions League will involve 12 teams and 23 matches, while this year’s competition has eight teams - the winners and runners-up from domestic Twenty20 competitions in India, Australia and South Africa plus the winner of 2008 Twenty20 championships from Pakistan and the reigning Twenty20 Cup champion from England, Middlesex.

This could lead to a major issue in international cricket as the dates clash with the Future Tours Program. The ICC proposes to hold its Champions Trophy, which was postponed from September 2009 in the month of October. This further clashes with Australia’s schedule to play seven one-day internationals in the same month next year.

Tags: bcci, CA, Champions League T20, CSA, icc, IPL